Harry Potter, Post Script II: Picking Up the Pieces
by midnightephemera
Summary: A continuation of the Harry Potter series after the 7th novel. Sequel to Heroes, Hopes and Horrors. Fate always seems to have it in for Harry and his family/friends. Can he put everything back to rights, while starting his career and chasing down a mysterious new enemy? (Read PS:HHH first!)(Mostly Canon compliant, Harry/Ginny centric but covers all of our favorite characters.)
1. Forever and a Day

_Author's Note: Welcome back to the Post Script Saga! I know you're eager to read on so I'll keep this note short. _

_Harry Potter belongs, and always will, to J. K. Rowling. This author is just glad to be able to play in the world she created._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 01 - Forever and a Day**

"_Each of us has his own rhythm of suffering."_

_- Roland Barthes_

* * *

><p>Diagon Alley was slowly closing down for the day as the sun made its way down to the horizon. It had been a beautiful day and many people had stayed out late to shop, which left many shopkeepers along the Alley a little more happier than usual.<p>

There were a few people who weren't sharing in that happiness, however.

Molly Weasley had a bright smile on her face as she said goodbye to the last customer on their way out the door of her cafe, but that smile disappeared as soon as she had locked the door and turned around. A long sigh escaped her as she pulled out her wand from the pocket of her apron. A few, practiced motions later, she had all the chairs hovering a few feet off the floor while a mop danced across the wood, cleaning by itself.

Twelve weeks. It had been twelve long and painful weeks for her and her family since Harry had literally disappeared into thin air. Every member of the extended Weasley family was taking it hard, especially so soon after Fred's death.

Of all her children and loved ones, Molly was most worried about her daughter. Ginny had experienced a few fainting spells in the first few weeks of Harry being gone, but seemed to be doing much better now; physically at least. She was of course still very emotional at times, and much too quiet and reserved for anyone's liking.

As time went on, more and more of the Weasley clan were starting to lose hope that Harry would ever be found or that he would somehow return to them. Ginny, however, was adamant in her belief that he was still out there somewhere. She had told everyone that she still felt something across the bond she had with Harry, but that it was very faint. Molly was hoping very much that it was true, but at the same time she worried that Ginny was hopefully clinging on to something that wasn't actually there.

Everyone had also been hit hard by the death of Andromeda Tonks. The older witch had held on and fought for a few days at St. Mungo's after being kidnapped and injured, but finally succumbed to the poison that was discovered in her body.

With Harry missing, the guardianship and care of Teddy had fallen to the Weasleys, according to Andromeda's will. The whole family had pitched in to make things work, not that anyone needed to be asked twice; they all loved Teddy as one of their own. Ginny had invested herself wholeheartedly in looking after the little one, and it had become a hard feat to try and convince her to take a break and let someone else watch over him.

Down the cobblestone street at a brightly colored shop, Ron and Angelina were closing up as well. With George still missing in action and hiding from everyone else, the two were doing their best to keep Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes going strong. Angelina had been very relieved when the school year ended and Ron was able to to help at the store full-time.

At the same time, she was wishing for the time alone that she had had before, so that no one could see how much worry and hurt she was carrying around. Even though she was always invited over for dinner at the Burrow, some nights she had to find some excuse not to show up, just so she could go home to her apartment and have a good cry, or find someplace to go and scream out loud and let all her emotions out.

Ron, Harry's first friend in the wizarding world and best mate, was naturally having a hard time as well. The two had planned to become Aurors together, and though he had gotten the necessary NEWTs to start the Academy, Ron couldn't bring himself to do it. Each time he thought about going to see Kingsley, he was also inundated with thoughts of what he would be putting his family through. They had already been through a lot, and he thought it would be unfair of him to put them through even more worry, especially his fiancee Hermione.

Across London at the Ministry of Magic, Hermione sat back in her chair and looked around her small office with a sigh. So much had happened and changed in the past few weeks that sometimes she could hardly take it all in. As much as she had hoped not to immerse herself in the new job, she was finding it a welcome place to lose herself in sometimes. Harry's disappearance had thrown everyone for a loop and caused all sorts of worry, which of course was not good for her as she had not gotten control of the panic attacks she'd been having over the last year.

Her gaze crossed the large calendar on the wall and she sighed again, looking at the date. It was July 23rd. She and Ron would have been married for six days now according to all their plans, and they would have just been getting back from their honeymoon today. They had both waited until the last possible moment before needing to postpone the wedding, and it was something they had both agreed on. Neither of them wanted to go ahead with the wedding while everyone was coming to terms with the disappearance, and both agreed that it would feel wrong without Harry being there. Harry being the best man aside, he was really the one responsible for the two of them meeting and being friends for so many years.

They hadn't given up on all their plans though. She and Ron had been planning on finding a place of their own for after the wedding, and had moved out of the Burrow three weeks ago. It had been extremely hard breaking the news to Mrs. Weasley, and Hermione didn't blame the woman one bit; one son leaving home and one missing in such a short time was of course very difficult. Her mother-in-law to be took it fairly well after the initial shock though, the couple had found a place to rent just down the road in the village of Ottery St. Catchpole. It had been a little easier giving the news to her own parents, who were already used to her not being home most of the time. All four parents had agreed that forcing the two to wait until after the marriage was official was a bit much, considering how long they had been living and sleeping together already.

Hermione hoped for everyone's sake, and her own, that Harry wasn't gone forever. The family would lose yet another member, and she would lose one of the closest friends she had. She had been very happy at Christmas when Harry had mentioned that she was the sister that he never had, because that was how she saw him; a brother that was always looking out for her. Yes, she was going to marry into a family with many brothers, but the relationship she had with Harry would always be something special.

There were a few others at the Ministry who were worried about Harry in their own ways. Arthur Weasley was still kept busy in his post as head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. All of the security of the British wizarding community fell under his control and even though the last of Voldemort's cronies were now dead or locked away, there was still a lot going on. In addition to the small-time crooks and black market problems that had cropped up in the Death Eaters' absence, the most trusted members of his staff were still rooting through the Ministry to catch any moles or insiders left behind. They of course could still do massive damage to the newly found peace.

Kingsley Shacklebolt had devoted quite a few resources after Harry's disappearance, determined to help find the missing lad, but nothing came of all the man hours that were spent searching and researching what the glow around Harry that day meant. Similarly, all the efforts the Ministry made in searching the country came up with nothing to show for it.

Charlie and Percy were the least familiar with Harry out of all of their family, and while they were upset with his disappearance they were more concerned with how it was affecting the others. The other family members were pleasantly surprised to see Percy, of all people, trying to talk with and comfort Ginny the most.

Bill and Fleur completed the move into their new house just outside of Hogsmeade a few weeks after the end of the school year. Both Headmistress McGonagall and the school board of governors had agreed the French Club Fleur had run that year made a good and lasting impression, and had offered a full professorship for Fleur. French would now be an elective class available to all years, even first and second. Bill of course would be staying on as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. The couple had been offered a suite of rooms within the castle just as the other faculty had, but they had been agreed that they would miss the privacy of having their own place to retreat to.

The two were taking an evening stroll around the village in companionable silence and enjoying the sunset, as had become their custom in the past few weeks. Their near-daily route took them down the main street, past the cluster of shops and the Three Broomsticks. Bill looked over at the building and through the front windows into the pub, letting a little sigh go as he did. The pub had reopened fairly quickly after Madam Rosmerta had died in the Holiday Attacks, as they were being called now. Her family had taken up the reins of running the inn, but of course the establishment wouldn't ever be the same as it had been.

Bill felt Fleur pause next to him and tug at his arm, and he tore his look away from the windows to see Professor McGonagall crossing the street towards them. He looked at Fleur with a small smile on his face before clearing his throat and addressing their boss.

"Good evening, Professor..."

Minerva gave him one of her renowned no-nonsense looks before breaking her usually tight lips into a small smile. "Good evening to you too William, Fleur. Why not dispense with the formalities? We are neither in the school or around any of the students. I'm almost certain that I've told you this once or thrice before..." she said, raising an eyebrow in amusement.

"Err, right. Forgot about that Profes... Minerva. Sorry, but that's still taking a bit to get used to."

Fleur tried to hold back a giggle after seeing her husband's face. "Are you out for an evening walk as well?" she asked their older witch.

Minerva nodded. "As beautiful as the school grounds are, sometimes a change of scenery is called for. Are you all set and moved into your new home then?"

"Oui," Fleur responded. "Just around the corner and a block down from here. Would you like to stop in for some tea?"

Bill tried to hide the nervousness that was surely evident on his face as he watched McGonagall contemplate the offer.

"A spot of tea sounds perfect actually, if you don't mind. Thank you for offering..."

* * *

><p>Five minutes later, the three were serving themselves from the tray of tea things Fleur had just finished setting out on the small table between the two couches in the new home's living room. McGonagall smiled at the offered cup of tea and stirred it a little as she looked around, admiring the interior. The decorations certainly had a lot of French influence. "It's a very beautiful home you two have here. I can see why you chose not to take up rooms in the castle."<p>

Bill smiled and nodded. "Thank you. We're very happy to have this place, and being around other people each day is a welcome change from being alone out at the cottage. We've actually found ourselves spending more time at the Burrow this summer, however..."

McGonagall sighed a little and set down her teacup on the table before looking back up at them. She had hoped that the couple would be the ones to bring up the subject she was interested in, instead of having to do it herself. "I can imagine," she said quietly. "I don't suppose there are any new developments about Harry?"

The sighs she got in response gave her the answer she knew was coming, but had hoped wasn't.

"Nothing," Bill said after putting down his own cup. "Not a single sign of him anywhere, and we've been to every place we can think of multiple times. Ginny still believes he's out there somewhere, she says she can still feel a tiny bit of his presence there with the connection they have."

McGonagall nodded. "We talked about that during the end of the last term after she was over the fainting spells. Albus was most curious about her predicament and surmised that the lack of connection she had to Harry was the most probable cause."

"Like last summer, after Harry collapsed," Fleur thought out loud. "Ginny was very tired and morose while he was unconscious. She is much the same way now," she said, looking up at her husband and her visitor.

The Headmistress nodded, a grim expression on her face. "That was one of the reasons I was persuaded to let her leave school early. She was ready to take her NEWT tests, but forcing them upon her in her current state would do a disservice to her final grades."

Bill sighed. "Well, Kingsley promised her that she'd be able to take the tests whenever she was ready. At this point, I don't even know if she's going to be ready to start practice with the Harpies come September..."

The two ladies nodded at that. Ginny had been offered the open Chaser's spot on the all-female professional Quidditch team for the coming season at the end of June, even though she hadn't played in the House Championship game. Even without their star Chaser and Seeker, Gryffindor had acquitted themselves nicely and managed to squeak out the win under Ron's guidance; a testament to the hard work the absent couple had put into their team. Gwenog Jones, the Harpies captain, was very empathetic to Ginny's emotions and had been very impressed with how Gryffindor had played even without her. Normally, a new recruit to a professional team would have been subjected to a hard summer of drilling and practice during the off-season, but the Harpies were giving Ginny the whole summer off on the condition that she was ready to join them for regular practices starting in September.

Fleur leaned into her husband lightly and sighed. "Me neither, William. At this point, it will be debatable whether she can even hold up to all the practicing..."

Bill grimaced. It was true; Ginny was not looking the best. She was hardly eating enough, something that their mother was always fretting about. At times she even looked sickly, and her face was set in a permanent look of gloom. Everyone who knew her usual fiery and outgoing self was surprised at how she appeared now, on those few times she had left the Burrow. Some days she didn't even bother to change out of her pajamas as she took care of Teddy and the chores around the Burrow.

The three sat and visited with each other for a few more hours, with Minerva eventually agreeing to stay for dinner. There was a lot for them to discuss, including the upcoming school year, but their thoughts about Harry and Ginny stayed at the forefront of their minds all evening.

* * *

><p>The happy, giggling sound that most toddlers make brought a rare smile to Ginny's mouth as she stood near the kitchen stove and stirred the stew she had been working on for dinner. To her, there wasn't much to be happy about, but Teddy was always one of them. He always seemed to be happy, whether it was first thing in the morning or throughout their numerous play sessions during the day. The sixteen-month old was a source of amazement and wonder to her every single day, and was probably the one most responsible for keeping her sanity straight.<p>

With Teddy secure in his playpen in the corner, Ginny went through the motions of getting dinner ready without really thinking too hard about any of them. Without being asked, Ginny had taken over nearly all of the chores and cooking responsibilities at home since she had returned from school. There was a strange sort of comfort in the normalcy of the routine she had set for herself. She had tried to continue on with finishing her classes at Hogwarts, but after a week or two she realized that it just wasn't in her heart. There was too much pain in remaining at the school without Harry, and everyone else could see it. Her family and friends were doing everything they could to help her, and while she truly did appreciate it, there just wasn't anything that could be done for the large part of her that went missing along with her Harry.

Her hand went unconsciously to the lightning pendant that she still wore around her neck as she remembered the evening Harry had given it to her. For days after he had disappeared, she had stared at it off and on, willing a message to come through on it from him. She had felt, and still did, so empty without her closeness to Harry, both physically and otherwise. Even after three months, her bed seemed so empty and cold without Harry there to sleep with her. That was nothing compared to the emptiness she felt in her heart. She had lost count of the number of times she had broken down and cried herself to sleep, wishing with every ounce of energy she could muster that Harry would return to her. She had become so used to his presence in her soul and in her mind, and while she could still sense part of him there, it was as if he had been taken and locked away somewhere that she couldn't find. None of the abilities that they had discovered over the past year had worked in looking for him; each time she attempted to try resulted in her becoming more and more frustrated.

Ginny knew that eventually she would have to work on finishing her classes and getting her NEWTs, and getting ready for practice with the Harpies. She knew that somehow she would have to find the will to continue on with her life while waiting for Harry to come back, but what she didn't know was how to go about doing all of that.

She sighed loudly as she finished slicing the loaf of bread she had baked to go along with the stew and checked the time. It was nearly time for everyone to come home,she noticed, those who would be coming, anyway. Normally everyone made it a point to show up for dinner, but today their number would be low. Bill and Fleur had sent word that they had their own dinner guest in Hogsmeade, and Percy was apparently going out on a date with Audrey. Charlie was off on another trip to the continent; even though he was a Department Head he still insisted on making a lot of trips abroad to study magical creatures or meet with other researchers.

Angelina of course had a standing offer to dinner each night, but more often than not she would decline. Ginny didn't blame her; it had to be hard for the other woman to be around her boyfriend's family with him still refusing to see anyone. So, it looked as if dinner that night would just be for six; her parents, Ron, Hermione, Teddy and herself.

She looked up and smiled at the "Bing!" that Teddy babbled out, copying the sound that rang lightly throughout the house. It was the new wards they had set on the house over the spring indicating that a family member was arriving home. The kitchen door opened a few moments later and just beyond it, Ginny could see her father ushering someone else in. Ginny frowned for a moment, not recognizing who the other woman was.

"Ah, beef stew," Arthur said with a smile. "We're in for a good dinner. Ginny, could you set another place out for... oh where are my manners." He shook his head. "Ginny, this is Genevieve Taylor. Genevieve, this is Ginny, my daughter and Harry's girlfriend."

Ginny's eyes widened as she looked at the woman who was Harry's godmother. Her mouth hung open slightly as she tried to remember how to use it. "Gen.. Genevieve?"

The older witch smiled warmly and nodded. "Please, call me Evie."

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><p><em>Thanks for reading! The next few chapters will answer a few questions, but not all right away. Harry will return of course, but as to when that will happen and how well he will be - you'll just have to wait and see.<em>

_Please favorite/follow and/or review if the mood strikes you. I like knowing what readers think about this story, even criticisms! As always, big kudos to my beta (Nova and Cerulean)!_

_-Midnight_


	2. Lost Time

_Author's Note: The Potter universe and all its characters, places, names, etc. are not my creation, all credit belongs to JKR. I'm only providing my own storyline and using her sandbox to play in._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 02 - Lost Time**

"_Not all those who wander are lost."_

- J.R.R. Tolkien

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><p>The summer night was a clear and warm one. Ginny was enjoying the light breeze out in the garden, and the quiet moment alone and away from everyone inside. She sighed as she closed her eyes, letting her mind catch up with what had happened in the last hour.<p>

Her father coming home with Genevieve Taylor was a pretty big shock, one that left her wishing she'd had some sort of warning. She was sure that their guest had noticed just how far her jaw had dropped and how she had stuttered. She had chided herself a bit for that, realizing that she had let herself forget that the woman even existed and that she and Harry had been trying to find her.

The conversation at dinner had been all over the place as Arthur had filled his family in on how Kingsley had managed to locate Harry's godmother through some of his contacts, and everyone else took it in turn to update Genevieve on what had happened since she left the country all those years ago.

Ginny had paid polite attention to all the discussion, but not much stuck in her mind other than the fact that the person she and Harry had been looking for had been located. She had excused herself from the table a few minutes before to give herself some space to think, and there was a lot of that to do.

If only they had had this much luck finding her Harry, she mused quietly in her mind. The timing was pretty poor as well, since the person Genevieve had come looking for was missing himself.

The sound of someone clearing their throat nearby caused her to jump a little, but she settled down at seeing who it was.

"Sorry," Genevieve said, an apologetic look on her face. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Ginny shook her head and shifted over a bit on the bench she was sitting on, taking a moment to look at the dinner guest. Though the light was dimming, she could she that the woman was a natural beauty, just as Harry's mother had been. Genevieve had long and straight auburn hair that was pulled back into a simple ponytail and was dressed comfortably yet fashionably. Everything about her screamed of being an easygoing person, but the anxious look on her face at the moment betrayed that . "Don't worry about it, I was just lost in my own head there for a moment. I'm sorry for leaving the table so quickly after dinner, I guess I just needed a moment to take it all in."

The older woman nodded and took a seat next to Ginny. "Funny, I find myself in the same boat as you. I've gotten a lot to think about in the last few days. Mind if I sit here with you for a bit?"

Ginny shrugged a little and looked away from her slowly. "I don't mind the company..."

The two women sat there quietly for a few minutes as the evening sky continued to darken. Next to her, Ginny heard the other witch sigh a bit.

"It's beautiful out here. It reminds me a lot of the summer nights growing up at my home."

Ginny nodded. "This is one of our favorite spots, Harry and I."

Genevieve felt the younger woman beside her shrink down a little at that pronouncement. She could have sworn she heard a little hitch in the redhead's voice before a sad sigh escaped her. Genevieve's heart ached a little as she looked over and saw all the pain and sadness there. She felt like reaching over to give the girl a hug but stopped herself from doing so. It would be awkward at best, since they had just barely met. Settling on just placing her hand on top of Ginny's on the bench between them, she sighed as well and shook her head.

"I can't imagine what you've been going through," she said quietly. "The Minister told me a lot about what Harry's done, and what you've all been through. It just doesn't seem fair that it's all happened to him." Her voice dropped considerably as she lowered her head to look down at the ground in front of them. "You must be missing him terribly."

A short, hollow laugh escaped Ginny. "I don't think there's a word that can accurately describe what I'm feeling," she muttered. "I go from just missing him one moment, to wanting to blast something apart the next at the injustice of it all."

The younger woman looked over at the newcomer with inquiring eyes. "You've been a hard person to find. I'm sorry if you already answered this over dinner, but what happened after you left Britain?"

Genevieve ran her fingers through her dark brown hair, tucking a loose lock behind her ear before looking over at Ginny. "I'm guessing the real question you have behind that one is why I never came back to find Harry?"

Getting a nod in response, she sighed and looked back down at the ground. "To be perfectly honest, I never knew that Harry survived."

Seeing the confused look coming from Ginny, she continued. "After we graduated from Hogwarts, my family decided that with the war going on and the constant attacks that the Death Eaters were carrying out, we would be best off by getting away from everything else and moving on to the continent. It was very hard to leave Lily, James and the others, but I just couldn't leave my family either…"

Ginny listened quietly as Genevieve spoke, sensing that her guest was feeling almost as torn apart as she was. "I managed to come back and visit everyone a few times before Harry was born, but after I found a job and started travelling around for it, I just never had the time," she answered sadly.

"After that Halloween, I didn't get news of what had happened until many days later," she said with a haunted voice. "Somewhere along the line the news must have been messed up, because as I understood everything, Harry had somehow defeated Voldemort but passed away as well."

Genevieve placed her hands in her lap, unconsciously rubbing her thumbs together in a fretful manner. "I really have no excuse for not even coming back to say my goodbyes to James and Lily, at least then I might have learned that Harry was still alive. After I had heard about what Sirius had supposedly done though, I just couldn't…"

Ginny caught the pained look on the other woman's face and understood right away. "You and Sirius…?"

A tight smile appeared on Genevieve's face for a fleeting moment. "We were close, yes. Not anywhere near as close as I've heard you and Harry are, but I always blamed that on being so far away from each other. It's so good to hear that he wasn't the one that betrayed Lily… though I never would've guessed it was Peter…"

Ginny scowled. "That rat surprised everyone. I still get goosepimples when I remember that he had lived here right under our noses at the Burrow for so many years."

_That_ was news to the other woman. "Pettigrew was _here?_ They didn't mention that at dinner… he stayed in his rat form all that time just to hide away?"

"For over 12 years," Ginny responded. "Though, there were times where he went 'missing' for a day or so. He always ended up being found again but I suppose he could have been out doing anything, and we were none the wiser…"

Genevieve sighed. "If only I hadn't been so wrapped up in how hurt I was feeling… I knew all about them being Animagi, I should have put two and two together… Sirius wouldn't have been stuck in that horrid prison for so long and would have taken care of Harry instead of Lily's vile sister…"

It was Ginny's turn to show a sign of comfort, and she put her hand on top of Genevieve's. "It wasn't your fault Ms. Taylor… none of it was. Everything goes back to Voldemort and his ideas."

Genevieve smiled a bit. "Don't you start with the Ms. Taylor's, please. It's just Evie. Anyone who's taken care of Harry or been a friend to him is a friend of mine. I just wish I could have been the one to do that."

Ginny leaned back on the bench and looked out over the darkening garden. "I understand why Dumbledore placed Harry with his aunt, since Sirius was in prison, but if you were his godmother I thought you would have been notified at the very least…"

Another long sigh accompanied Evie's answer. "It's because it hadn't been made official. The last time I was able to visit was a few months before Harry was born, and so we couldn't perform the short ritual to magically name me as one of his guardians. My status wouldn't have been recognized, even if James and Lily had written it in their wills. Looking back on the atmosphere here back then, I should have made the time to come back in case something happened like it did, but I let myself keep thinking that it was okay because Siri was here…"

The older woman grew quiet in contemplation, and after a while Ginny squeezed the hand that was still underneath hers. "Well, it's all in the past now. We can't change anything that happened, but at least you'll have time with Harry now that you know what really happened."

Genevieve had a sad look on her face as she glanced over. "Is there any news about him that I haven't heard? Does anyone have a clue as to where he is or what happened?"

"Nothing like that," Ginny said quietly, "but I can still sense a bit of him in our connection. It's very faint and muddled, but it's Harry. I just don't understand why I can't reach him, or why he won't answer."

Genevieve smiled a little at how sure Ginny was that Harry was still alive, but her mind was working overtime, wondering like many others if what Ginny was feeling was just a deep longing and wishful thinking. "Tell me more about this bond that happened between you two, the Minister told me a little bit about it but I've never heard of something like that, even in all my travels…"

* * *

><p>On the other side of Ottery St. Catchpole, Hermione and Ron were getting ready for bed after a long day and very interesting dinner. The guest that his father had brought home had surprised everyone, and Ron was still mulling over the discovery that Harry's godmother was alive and well in his mind while he brushed his teeth. He and Hermione had left for their new flat soon after Genevieve had excused herself to talk with Ginny. His mother had given both of them a look as they left and a light admonishment to not become strangers at the Burrow. Though he understood his mother's anxiousness over them not being under her roof any more, Ron still found her words amusing since they had been present for dinner the whole week previous.<p>

Ron turned off the tap and stowed his toothbrush away, smiling a bit in the mirror at the thought of another night spent close to his fiance. As he stepped into the room though, the smile vanished. Hermione was sitting in their still-made bed on top of the covers, knees tucked up to her chest and head down, her long hair covering any sight of her face. He couldn't see it, but Ron knew that underneath the tangled mess of bushy hair Hermione was crying.

Worried, he made his way across the room and sat down gently on the bed, his hand reaching towards her back to rub her gently. He wanted to ask what was bothering her, but stopped himself. He knew that she would eventually tell him, and there was no use in asking her in a way that might bring on one of her panic attacks. Without stopping his soothing actions, Ron slid over next to Hermione and got them both comfortable. Eventually Hermione lifted her head a little, only to let it rest on his shoulder a moment later.

Ron wrapped his arm around her and continued rubbing her arm as he used his free hand to brush back the hair from her face and wipe away the tears still left there. "Harry?" he asked quietly.

Hermione nodded slowly, letting her hands fall into her lap. She knew exactly what he was asking by the way in which he asked it; this wasn't the first time she had broken down over everything that had happened. "I'm sorry Ron, I just..."

She stopped speaking as she felt a finger press against her lip, and looked over to see a small smile of reassurance on his lips.

"'Mione, you don't ever have to apologize for what you're feeling. We're all pretty banged up emotionally, but that's what family is for right? We help each other through the hard times."

A small but genuine smile crossed her lips as Hermione felt the familiar warm inner glow that was always there when Ron said something like that or showed his gentle side. She kissed the tip of his finger lightly and answered him.

"I know. I don't know what came over me, I guess I was thinking about Genevieve and the horrible timing of it all. I can't imagine what's going through her mind right now, after learning that her godson has been alive all these years, but he's somehow gone missing and no one can figure out how or why..."

Ron chewed on his lip for a moment, hearing the frustration that was creeping into Hermione's voice. A few years ago the jealous side of him that had been quashed down would've had him upset and worried that Hermione had feelings for Harry. Now, he knew that she only saw him as a brother, and he certainly understood what she was feeling and why.

He also knew that Hermione was intellectually frustrated, not being able to figure out what had caused Harry to disappear or what that glowing had been all about. His fiance took pride in the fact that she could research just about any subject and figure things out, but this time, the time when it really mattered, nothing was making sense.

Sighing softly, Ron let his head rest against the top of her's and pulled her gently closer to himself. "Ginny can still feel him out there somewhere…" he said softly. "I think we just have to have some faith that if he's able to, Harry will find his way back to us."

* * *

><p>Across the channel from England and a few kilometers outside the Irish town of Tullamore, an elderly farmer and wife sat at their kitchen table and watched as their guest collected the dinner dishes and started washing them. Even though it had been going on for three months now, Aileen still found it difficult to relinquish this particular chore.<p>

"I do thank you, James, but you do know that you don't have to do this every night..."

The young man with black hair and green eyes looked up and over at her with a small smile as he rinsed a plate clean. "It really isn't a problem Mrs. Nolan, and I don't want to abuse the generosity you've shown me. You two have helped me more than I can ever repay you."

Eamon Nolan sipped at his tea and quietly watched as his wife talked with the very polite man. It had given him quite a startle to find him out in the fields on his farm that morning in early May, asleep on his back next to a hay bale. The older man had every intention of running James off, thinking he was a homeless vagrant, until he saw the condition of the clothes the sleeping figure was wearing. They were fairly clean for someone who had spent the night outdoors, and weren't ratty or full of holes like he had expected.

His wife had insisted that they help the young man out when it became clear that 'James' had a case of total amnesia. Both husband and wife had heard stories on the television and in books about the condition and how it affected people, but they had certainly never expected to become part of one of these cases.

Eamon had wanted to help the young man into town and leave him with the authorities who he assumed were better equipped to handle a situation like this, but Aileen had convinced him that it would be the right and Catholic thing to do to let him stay with them on the farm. James, as they had taken to calling him, was an eager fellow and had immediately offered to do work around the farm and property in repayment, until his memory returned.

Since everyone knew everyone else in their small area of countryside, within two days the Nolan's had both a doctor and a constable they knew by name over to meet with James. The doctor was able to confirm as best he could that James was suffering from a case of amnesia, and a quick checkup showed that he was otherwise in perfect health. The visit the constable made proved less informative, as the officer left without much in the way of information to check against missing person's records. The young man who they were calling James could not recall any solid facts about his previous life, and so the only facts he had were the man's physical attributes and the necklace he was wearing, a thin silver chain holding a small round disk with a lightning-bolt shape etched onto one side. There weren't even any scars or distinguishing features to put in his report, other than his British accent, and so the constable did his duty and filed his report, hoping that what little information they did have would register somewhere.

A half hour later, James laid back on the bed in the guest bedroom he had been given to use. He sighed loudly, particularly frustrated that he couldn't remember any solid details about his life before the past twelve weeks. The doctor that visited every other Sunday could only reassure him and tell him that it might take a while for things to start falling into place; every case of amnesia was radically different.

There were some hazy 'memories' that he could recall, but James was reluctant to share any of them with his hosts or Dr. Mead. He couldn't be certain that they weren't just dreams he had had; flying around in the air chasing after a small golden ball was something he was sure he hadn't done before. The most jarring memory was a very curious and unsettling one, a woman's scream and a bright green flash. James figured that it could have been some kind of accident or vehicle crash, possibly even the reason for his current state of mind, but such an accident had not been reported anywhere for many miles around on the night before he was found in the field, and half a kilometer from any public road.

The mystery of who he was and how he had gotten to be here was something that James was always thinking about, to his constant consternation. Reaching over to the bedside table, he took hold of the lightning-etched necklace and held it above his head, looking carefully at it as he did every night. The necklace was the only clue to his past life, but try as he might, he could not remember anything about why it was in his possession. Each night he tried to remember who might have given it to him, or for what purpose, and each night he came up empty.

The one thing James knew for certain was that there was someone waiting for him out there, somewhere. He could feel it in his mind and heart, almost as if there was another presence beckoning to him. At times he swore he could 'hear' that presence calling to him, but he shrugged off that notion. There was no way that could happen, he knew, and if he mentioned it to anyone there was a very real chance that he could be called mentally unstable and taken or sent away from the farm. That was something he didn't want to happen, as much as he didn't want to inconvenience his hosts.

Still though, he was sure that when he did managed to regain his memories, he would have some place and someone to go to. There was no mistaking the feeling of his heart yearning for a special someone. He tried focusing once more on that someone, and as he drifted off to sleep he was rewarded for his patience with the image of a lightly freckled face and long, fiery red hair, and the faintest smell of flowers.

* * *

><p>In the small grove of trees nearby, a lone bird with magnificently-colored feathers sat watching the farmhouse as it did every night. His previous human friend had been correct in guessing that this particular young wizard would one day show enough magical power and promise. For that reason, the majestic phoenix had bound himself slightly to the one called Harry, and he had been pleasantly surprised when he had felt the rush of magical energy almost a whole season ago.<p>

Harry was an enigma to Fawkes though. Never had the bird sensed such a strong block on a person's magic. Something or someone much more powerful than the young man or the bird itself had locked Harry so deep inside his own mind that Fawkes couldn't reach him. The bird could tell though that the block could not be kept up forever, and that it would only take one big push from the outside to break down the wall.

It would be soon, Fawkes thought. He could feel another magical presence nearby, one that had been there at the human school along with young Harry. Soon, his new friend would be reunited with his mate.

* * *

><p><em>A little bit more of the mystery is revealed; but now there's more questions. How did Harry end up with amnesia, and how did he end up in Ireland? Why is Fawkes watching him? Stay tuned for the next chapter when Harry finally gets reunited with his family!<em>

_As always, thank you for reading the Post Script Saga. I write these chapters mainly to get all the 'what if's' out of my head, but also for all the readers. Let me know what you think please! Favorite/Follow and Review if it tickles your fancy. Big thanks to my beta readers (Nova and Cerulean) for their help!_

_-Midnight_


	3. Reunion

_Author's Note: The Potter universe and all its characters, places, names, etc. are not my creation, all credit belongs to JKR. I'm only providing my own storyline and using her sandbox to play in._

_Review Responses:_

_**someone007: **__[...] I loved HHH and know I simply can't wait to know what happened to Harry... there's just one little thing I would like to point out: Harry doesn't have a godmother, JKR said so in an interview... but I still think your story is genius. _

_**Meem: **__What is your updating schedule going to be like? I can't wait to read more!_

_Thanks for all the reviews everyone! Within the Post Script Saga you're going to see a few things that are off-canon or slightly against what JKR has said, just because I need it to be that way for the story. (There's already been a large tweak in the fact that Harry went back to finish his seventh year at all!) Now, when it comes to an update schedule, I wish I could give you all one. I will attempt (note the word attempt) to post one at least every weekend, but life does get in the way sometimes. Also, my muse is under constant temptation to join my two Betas in their chocolate and wine sessions, and it is rather hard to pull her back to work ;)_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 03 - Reunion**

"_We need never be hopeless, because we can never be irreparably broken."_

- John Green, _Looking for Alaska_

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><p>Seamus Finnigan smiled as he stepped out of the car, breathing in the clean air and looking out over the family farm that he hadn't seen in nearly five years. The Scottish highlands around Hogwarts were not ugly by any means, but there was something oddly pleasing about coming home to the Irish countryside. He remembered many summers here as a child, spending the long summer days running around and exploring the area under the care of his great-aunt and uncle.<p>

The front door of the farmhouse opened and Seamus prepared himself for the loud greeting that was sure to follow; Great-Aunt Aileen was known throughout the family, and the area, for her _very_ enthusiastic welcome hugs. He checked that his wand was firmly wedged in his pocket before walking over with a smile on his face; it wouldn't do for her or Uncle Eamon to discover his wand, since they knew nothing about his and his mother's magical lives.

"Dear goodness, is that our Seamus?" Aileen crooned as she hugged her only nephew and then held him at arm's length to get a good look at him. "It's been too long since you've been to see us dear, you've gone and grown up!"

Seamus blushed a little at the affection and attention. "I'm sorry about that Aunt Aileen, time does fly quickly, but I'm here now."

Aileen ushered her nephew into the house and started a kettle of water boiling on the stove as they entered the kitchen. "Sit sit, Seamus. I'll make some tea to tide us over until lunch. It's so good to see you, you simply must tell me everything you've been up to lately. Lord knows your parents never manage to tell me much of anything."

The young man winced a little on the inside, having forgotten how 'nosy' his great-aunt was. Ever since he had learned about his mother's magical abilities and gotten his letter from Hogwarts, one of the biggest issues they had had was keeping the information secret from his favorite family members. It would have been simpler to let them in on the secret, since they would have been allowed under the Statute of Secrecy Act, but Seamus' father had worried about his aunt's devout religious life and what could happen.

"I've been doing alright," he started carefully. "I finished boarding school in June and I'm enjoying the summer while looking for a job somewhere."

Setting a mug of strong, hot tea in front of him, Aileen smiled and sat down across the table from him. "Oh yes, your mother always mentioned when she was here about your grades and how proud she was of you. St. Augustine Preparatory, wasn't it? Did you study anything interesting other than the normal classes?"

He nodded, playing along with the false name for the school his parents had come up with when they needed to tell people where he was for ten months out of the year. "Chemistry was my favorite, and I did make it onto on of the inter-school soccer teams for the last two years," he said with a small smile. He didn't particularly like having to lie like this, but they weren't all fiction; his favorites classes had been Potions and Charms, especially if it meant being able to set something on fire or blow it up.

"Is Uncle Eamon in town then? I didn't see the truck outside."

"Not today dear, the truck just has a new home in the shed as it's supposed to. We found some help this summer and we were able to clear out enough space. Your uncle is probably out there with James making sure the boy isn't overworking himself."

Seeing the curiosity in Seamus' eyes, Aileen continued on and filled her great-nephew in on the story behind their guest. "He's just about your age, dear. Very polite and hardworking," she said as she was finishing.

The wheels were turning quickly in Seamus' mind. Aileen's description of the James seemed very familiar to him, yet strange at the same time. It couldn't be…

"Aunt Aileen, when did you say you found him in the field?"

Before she could answer, the back door opened and the two looked over to see Eamon walking in, taking his hat off and hanging it on the rack next to the door. Seeing Seamus, he walked right over and waited for his nephew to stand for a hug. "It's good to see you here Seamus… it's been a long time…"

Seamus was returning the hug, claps on the back and all, when he froze at the sight just past his uncle's shoulder. The room went quiet for a moment as the older couple looked at the shock on Seamus' face, then over to their guest.

Pulling himself away, Seamus blinked a few times and stared at the person he'd shared a dormitory room with for six years. "Harry?"

Harry was confused by the look he was getting from the other young man in the room. "I'm sorry… do I know you?"

Just as he finished saying that, his eyes grew wide and he had to reach out to the doorframe to steady himself as got dizzy all of a sudden. It was as if a floodgate had opened, and all the memories he had been trying to retrieve the whole summer were coming back all at once. The sensation was all too overwhelming, and he clamped his eyes shut in a futile attempt to stay standing.

The other three people in the room stared as a faint white glow surrounded Harry as he lay there kneeling on the floor. Seamus was no stranger to unexplainable things happening, especially around Harry, but he hadn't seen anything like this before. It wasn't like the times when Harry had woken up in the middle of the night with his scar hurting, and so he didn't know what to do. Taking a few steps over to him, Seamus crouched down and spoke to his friend.

"Harry? What's going on? What can I do?"

Harry had no idea what was happening to him, other than the fact that his body felt like it was a dam holding back a strong current of water. It was a strange sensation as his magic began to fill back into his very being after being gone for so long.

"Seamus? I... "

His answer grew quiet, and Seamus had to react quickly to catch Harry's head from hitting the floor as he fainted and fell over. Behind him Seamus could hear his great-aunt and uncle talking between themselves and asking him questions, though he couldn't hear them as he started thinking quickly. He could hardly believe what had just happened, but he knew he had to do something quickly. Harry Potter had gone missing three months ago, and now here he was, unconscious on the floor in a farmhouse in Ireland.

Taking a deep breath, Seamus propped Harry up against the wall so that he was sitting, then stood and looked over at his family. "Aunt Aileen, Uncle Eamon, I know you have a million questions and frankly so do I, but the jist of it is that this is Harry Potter, a friend of mine, and he's been missing all summer. I need to get him to a Healer… ermm, a doctor. I promise I'll be back later to tell you everything I know, but until I do please don't go looking for us, and for Godric's sake please don't tell anyone what you saw…"

With that, he leaned over to pick Harry up by his shoulders and wrapped an arm around him before looking over at them with a nod. He took another deep breath as he scrunched his eyes together and concentrated hard. In the next moment, he was turning on his heel and with a loud _Crack!_ he vanished into thin air.

Aileen sat down heavily in her chair with her hand still on her mouth, shocked beyond all belief. It took both her and Eamon more than a little bit to settle down, but when they did a long conversation started about what they had witnessed. They had many questions, one of which Eamon was asking himself over and over.

_Who in the blue blazes was this Godric person?_

* * *

><p>Many hours later that night, the door to Harry's private recovery room opened a bit as the head nurse took a peek in to make sure everything was alright. Normally at this early part of the morning she would be fighting a losing battle with the urge to sleep, but not this day, not when they had such important patient to look after.<p>

Harry had been brought in at the beginning of Nurse Rowles' shift, and as soon as the St. Mungo's staff had determined he was only coming down from an episode of being magically overcharged, the messages started flying. The Minister of Magic's office had been informed, and Kingsley had immediately made a visit to the Burrow by floo to let the Weasley's know.

Kingsley had arrived into a bit of a chaotic scene. Ginny had apparently fainted for a few moments, only to wake and start insisting that she could 'feel' Harry again over their bond. The confirmation that Kingsley brought had both Molly and Ginny rushing to get suitably dressed and making their way to the fireplace just as quick as they could, leaving Arthur to stay sending messages to everyone else.

The nurse frowned a little at seeing how Ginny had fallen asleep hunched over in her chair and using Harry as a pillow. Normally, she wouldn't even allow any visitors overnight on her floor, but the Minister himself had given the hospital staff a directive that the Weasley's and a few others be given full access to Harry. She knew that her patient's girlfriend would be very stiff and sore when she woke, but the nurse also knew from experience that nothing would pry the redhead away from the bedside.

The sound of someone clearing their throat behind her broke Nurse Rowles out of her thoughts. She looked back to see Harry's other current visitor, who was holding two large mugs of hot tea and clearly wanting to get back into the room past her. Smiling at the other woman, the nurse stepped aside and let the brunette pass her by before continuing on her rounds down the corridor.

Genevieve sighed softly as she took in the scene before her. A small smile escaped onto her mouth at seeing that Ginny had finally succumbed to the fatigue she'd been fighting as she sat by Harry's side. The poor girl had been determined to be there and awake for Harry when he eventually awoke, but the older woman had known it wouldn't be long. The godmother set the mugs of tea down on the bedside table carefully and cast a quick warming charm on them before settling herself into the large and comfortable chair on the other side of the bed from Ginny, continuing the quiet watch that she had assumed from Molly Weasley a few hours ago. She had somehow managed to convince her new friend to go home and get some sleep, promising that she would send word if anything happened.

She smiled again as she watched the young couple in front of her, remembering a somewhat similar scene from her seventh year at school. James had been injured during a Quidditch practice and Lily had of course stayed by his bedside in the Hospital Wing as much as Madam Pomfrey had allowed. The similarities between the two couples were simply amazing, she thought to herself, right down to how much Harry looked like his father, and the way Ginny tucked her feet up underneath her on a couch just like Lily always had done.

It was a little while later that Genevieve noticed the very slight movements underneath the covers as Harry began to stir. She became alert immediately and watched him closely, feeling a bit nervous in the pit of her stomach. It was a bit scary, she thought, finally being able to meet her godson. She was a complete stranger to him, and had failed him on so many levels. Would he even like her?

Before she could do or say anything, Genevieve heard Ginny groan a little at having been woken up due to the fact that her pillow was moving around under her. It took the redhead a moment to realize that Harry was coming to, but she then sat up straight and looked over at his face.

"Harry?" she asked softly.

Harry mumbled incoherently in response, obviously still not fully awake. Genevieve watched as Ginny bit her lower lip, clearly debating with herself whether to try and wake him up any further or not. She reached over and brushed some of his dark and messy hair away from his forehead.

He stirred more at her touch, and both women could barely hear him as he coughed once then spoke quietly.

"Ginny?"

Ginny choked back a sob as she heard him speak to her for the first time in three months, but there was no stopping the sudden welling up of tears in her eyes.

"I'm here Harry... I'm right here..."

Harry felt a little thump as Ginny leaned over in her chair and buried her face into the covers on his chest, her arms wrapping across him as she clung onto him. He opened his eyes slowly to see the image that he had hoped to never see again, the love of his life crying over him as he lay in yet another hospital bed. Tears broke out in his own eyes as he heard her sobbing quietly, and he reached out with his hands to comfort her, running them up and down her back and through her hair.

The two held onto each other for the longest time, and after a long while, Harry felt Ginny relax on top of him as she expended what little energy she had and fell asleep again. Just a few feet away, Genevieve was a mess herself. She hadn't been able to stop herself from crying quietly as she watched the young couple reunite. There had been such a powerful feeling of love in the air, and the two didn't even have to speak to each other.

She sniffled quietly, and in the next moment Harry had turned his head to look over at her. Confusion crossed his mind as he saw his other visitor and realized that it wasn't Molly. There was something oddly familiar about her though.

"Ermm, hello..."

Genevieve smiled back weakly at him. "Hi, Harry. How are you feeling?"

Harry groaned a little as he stretched a little bit,doing what he could without waking the sleeping beauty that was using him as a pillow. "Still pretty groggy and out of it. Everything's still a little foggy to me." He frowned a little as he looked back over at her. "I'm sorry, I don't know if we've met before... "

His eyes grew wide as he remembered where he had seen the woman's face before. A memory of the picture they had found of his mother and her best friend sprang to the forefront of his mind. Many years had of course passed, but the person sitting next to him looked exactly like...

"Genevieve?"

She hesitated a bit, watching the shocked look on his face for a moment before nodding. She wanted so badly to say something, anything, but she was finding it rather difficult. What was someone supposed to say in a situation like this?

The two stared at each other for a few long moments before Harry regained use of his voice. "You're here..." he mumbled quietly, with a small tone of wonder and disbelief. "I can't believe it... How?"

Genevieve smiled kindly and leaned forward in her chair to take hold of one of his hands. "It's a long story Harry, and I'll tell you everything when you're ready, I promise. I may not have been here for you all these years, but I'm here now and I don't plan on leaving you again..."

A large wave of emotions took Harry by storm as he looked over at his godmother and saw all of her emotions plainly evident on her face. Unconsciously, he grabbed at her hand and in the next moment, he found another pair of arms around him as the two hugged as best they could due to his position on the bed.

There were a few tears in Genevieve's eyes as she straightened up and look down at the couple in front of her. Noticing that Ginny was close to falling out of her seat because of the way she'd fallen asleep, she made her way around the foot of the bed and with a few gentle movements had the younger woman lying fully next to Harry. A few waves of her wand saw the bed expanding a little to accommodate the extra occupant and the nearby furniture moving aside to make space.

She looked back over at Harry and smiled, seeing that he had already wrapped his arms around Ginny in a protective embrace.

"Thank you," he murmured quietly. It was pretty clear that sleep was about to claim him once more. Genevieve patted his arm softly a few times before sitting back in her chair.

"Of course Harry," she answered softly. "Why don't you get some more rest. I'll be here when you wake up alright?"

The tiniest of nods told her that he had heard her before falling asleep again. Genevieve sighed softly and settled back in her chair, relief washing over her. Their first meeting had gone well, she thought, not that it had been very long at all. Still though, Harry didn't seem upset with her, and the two now had all the time together they needed to get to know each other.

For the first time in a long while, things were looking up for Genevieve.

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><p><em>I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter! Please reviewfollow and favorite if you did like it!_

_Big thanks to all my readers, and even more thanks to my two Beta readers (Nova and Cerulean) who keep the story straight and fix all those horrendous errors that I make. _

_-Midnight_


	4. Peace from Pain

_Author's Note: The Potter universe and all its characters, places, names, etc. are not my creation, all credit belongs to JKR. I'm only providing my own storyline and using her sandbox to play in._

Enjoy!

**Chapter 04 - Peace From Pain**

"_There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."_

- Leonard Cohen

* * *

><p>"Well Mr. Potter, it appears as if you've suffered from a bit of a magical overload," Healer Smethwyck said quietly as he finished waving his wand at Harry and jotted a few notes and observations down on his clipboard. "An overload of this magnitude is usually very rare, though we seem to have somewhat of an explanation from the young man who brought you in last night."<p>

Harry nodded from his spot in the bed, trying to hold back a yawn after being woken up just a few minutes prior by the Healer coming in and Ginny leaving her spot right next to him. He looked over at her with a smile and received one back. "Yes, though the explanation brings up even more questions. The overload yesterday was my magic returning to me, am I right?"

He watched the older man nod before continuing. "So where did it go while I was suffering from that bout of amnesia? _How_ did I get amnesia, and how did I get from where I was to Ireland?"

Healer Smethwyck sighed a little and looked around at the others in the room while he contemplated his answer. "Unfortunately Harry, I don't think we can answer those questions satisfactorily at the moment. The glowing around your body that others have witnessed is our only clue, and we can only guess that it is somehow tied into these overloads that are occurring. I have never heard or read about anything like this happening Harry, but there are many, many things that we do not know about magic and it's effects on the human body. I will, however continue to research as best I can to try and find an answer."

"In the meantime," he continued, "I'd like to keep you here for the better part of the day Harry, just to make sure that no negative side effects of this overload catch us unawares. I expect, however, that you'll be okay to leave us and go home in the evening."

The Healer noticed the bright smiles on everyone's faces, including the ever-protective Molly Weasley. "Right then, I'll leave you to it then. I have other patients to check in on, and I'm sure that you all have a little to talk about and catch up on."

Harry watched the other man walk out of the room and sighed a little before turning to see both his adoptive mother and his girlfriend looking at him carefully. Molly looked fit to burst, he thought. The Weasley matriarch had a large smile on her face, even though she had to wipe away a small tear from her eyes every so often. He could tell that she was already planning a large and boisterous dinner party for the whole family once he was able to leave the hospital later.

Ginny, however, looked as if she was going to break down and start crying again at any moment. Though she had a small smile on her face, through their connection Harry could tell that she was harboring a lot of wild emotions.

"Mum?" he asked quietly, keeping his eyes locked with Ginny. "Could we, umm, could Ginny and I have a while to talk?"

Molly stopped herself from responding automatically and in her usual protective way when she saw the quick look that he gave her. She knew that Harry was going to be asking about everything that had happened in the last three months, and every maternal instinct she had was screaming at her to stay in the room to be there for the both of them. The look in his eyes spoke more than words though. It was like he was pleading with her to let it just be the two of them, yet at the same time giving reassurance that he would be alright and that he wasn't going anywhere.

"Of course dear," she answered softly as she stood up. "I'll just go find some tea…"

Harry waited until he heard the door click shut before reaching his arm out to Ginny in a beckoning motion. There was no hesitation on her part, and in moments the two were sitting close together on the bed, arms wrapped around each other. Ginny leaned forward a bit to rest her forehead on his shoulder and sighed heavily after a moment.

She felt a light kiss on the top of her head before hearing his quiet voice inside her mind.

_I'm sorry Ginny... _

There was no holding back the short but loud sob that had been building up in her throat. She curled her right arm tighter around his and rolled her head to the side a little so she had room to kiss his neck. _I missed you so much Harry, _she murmured back. _I..._

Even though they were talking mentally, there was still a little hitch in her voice as she trailed off. Harry's heart ached as he felt all her worries and fears about him slowly leaving her mind. Seeing how much she had suffered while he had been lost was pretty unnerving as well. He had promised himself before to never put the love of his life in this position again, and yet here they were.

Harry wallowed in his thoughts for a few minutes until he felt a soft touch on his cheek. When he opened his eyes, they found a pair of brown ones looking right back at him.

"Don't put yourself into a hole Harry," Ginny said quietly, lifting his chin up with her fingers.

He sighed a little, blinking away a few tears. "I'm trying, but I can't help but feel horrible for putting you through all that... I promised you I'd never leave you alone again..."

Ginny's eyes teared up a little as well, as her heart skipped a beat. She could feel the raw emotion of how much love he held for her, and it was truly overwhelming. Raising her hands, she put one on either side of his head, thumbs drying off the wet spots on his cheeks.

"It was hard, love, I won't deny that, but I know you would never have chosen to be away from me for all this time. It happened, and it was horrible, but we're back together now Harry. That's all that matters..."

She leaned in to press a kiss to his forehead, before wrapping hers arms around his neck and bringing him forward into her chest. The young couple sat there for a long time like that, enjoying being so close together and drinking in each other's presence as they both got used to their mental connection again. No words were used, but then again none were really needed.

Harry sat there, taking in the familiar scent of flowers that seemed to ever be around his Ginny and tried to focus his thoughts. After a while, the two broke apart from their tight embrace but still stayed close. A sad look crossed his face as he took a good look at his partner and saw the sum of what three months of worry and depression had done to her. There were small, dark rings under Ginny's eyes, most likely from long, sleepless nights and many crying sessions. She had also lost a bit of weight, he thought, and he had to frown at that. He felt horrible once again for having been the cause of all her worry, but quashed it down with a steely resolve to make everything right again.

"How much of an uproar did I make this time?" he asked quietly, a small smile on his face to try and lighten the mood.

An amused sound escaped Ginny's mouth. "Well Harry, you went and disappeared into thin air in front of a good number of Aurors and Kingsley, so naturally the story got out pretty quick. I haven't been paying much attention to what people have been saying in the papers, but according to Dad there's been a lot of speculation going on."

"Lovely." Harry sighed and shifted around a bit to sit up straighter. "Im sure my being gone did a number on the family..."

Ginny took his hand in hers and rubbed her thumb on it gently. "Mom took it pretty hard," she answered quietly. "She spent a lot of time working at her cafe and away from home. Hermione went through at least a hundred books trying to find any reference to what happened..."

Harry groaned. "The wedding! I can't believe I..." he trailed off, frustration mounting on him again.

"You didn't miss it love, they postponed it after waiting as long as they could. You can bet on it being back on just as soon as Mum can arrange it for them."

A small smile met the one her face. "What about you?" he asked quietly. The look they shared spoke volumes, and Ginny could tell right away what exactly he was asking about.

She sighed a little. "I left school a few days after it happened, but it's been okay. I had Teddy to watch over and keep me company..."

A little frown crossed Harry's forehead, before a sinking feeling enveloped his stomach and his eyes closed. "Ginny, please tell me he's..."

Ginny squeezed his hand tightly and bit her lower lip. "Teddy is fine sweetheart, but Andie..."

Harry heard the little hitch in her voice and a few fresh tears fell from his eyes. He could tell by the way she wouldn't meet his eye that it wasn't good news. "How?" he asked quietly after a long moment.

"After they got her out of the house, the Healers found a poison in her bloodstream. Travers and Malfoy must have given it to her before you got there Harry. Andie fought hard for a day or two, but she didn't make it."

A heavy sense of sadness descended upon Harry as he came to grips with the news. Andie had become somewhat of a good friend to him, and she was as good as family. His heart broke fresh once again thinking about the little boy who now truly had no biological family left.

After a while, Harry took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, before opening his eyes to find Ginny studying him with her own.

"Sorry..." he mumbled quietly.

Ginny shook her head and squeezed his hand again. "It's okay Harry. I know how close you had gotten to her, and to be honest I'd be more worried if you hadn't shown any emotion..."

Harry smiled a bit sheepishly. "Teddy?"

A true smile crossed Ginny's mouth. "Simply amazing. He's eating lots of solid food, sleeping most of the night, and walking a bit, albeit shakily. He's very quiet though, hasn't said anything yet..."

Harry shook his head, amazed at how much he had missed. "Three months..." he muttered quietly. "What else have I missed?"

Ginny sighed a bit. "Well, three big ones. George is still off and hiding away wherever he is and still doesn't want to face any of the family. Angelina's taken to spending some nights at the store just in case he goes back there," she said quietly. "The whole family and Kingsley know about our bond now..."

Harry winced. "How'd Mum take it?"

"Not as badly as we had thought dear, but that might have been because of the situation... We're probably in for it now."

He nodded. "You said three things, so I'm guessing the third is the other visitor I had last night?"

Ginny looked over at him. "You talked to her then?"

"Very briefly. I was exhausted and fell back asleep as soon as she enlarged the bed and put you next to me..."

A smile crossed the redhead's lips. "So that was her... I'll have to remember to thank her. She's been a real help the last few days since we met Harry, I've kind of told her everything about you and us..."

Harry grinned. "And she hasn't run away screaming yet?..."

Ginny reached out and grabbed a loose pillow to hit him with, and in the next moments the young couple were both laughing a bit. The sound came as an immense relief to the woman they both called Mum, who was leaning against the wall just outside the door.

* * *

><p>Much later that night, Harry sat relaxing in a comfortable armchair in the Burrow's living room and thinking about his day. Contrary to what he had thought earlier, dinner that evening was a very small affair with only himself, Ginny, her parents, Ron and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley was of the opinion that it wouldn't be good for Harry if there was a mass of people around right away, and had told most of the family to wait until the next day.<p>

There was no holding back Ron and Hermione, however, not that Harry minded. The three of them had gone through quite a lot together, and knew him better than anyone, aside from Ginny. As soon as Hermione had seen him sitting there at the kitchen table when she arrived she started crying happily and nearly jumped at him, wrapping him in a tight hug that rivaled Molly Weasley's.

The conversation at dinner had a wide range of topics, though Ron and Hermione's wedding was the most discussed. Now that Harry was back, a new date had to be chosen for the ceremony and reception. The guest list, Harry learned, wasn't very long. Since there weren't any other family members on Hermione's side and there weren't friends from before her time at Hogwarts, the Weasley family made up the majority. Of course, many of their friends from school had been invited, as well as quite a few Hogwarts faculty and Ministry staff.

Harry had gotten quiet and thoughtful through part of the conversation as an idea ran through his mind. He did feel somewhat guilty for being the reason his two best friends' wedding had been postponed, even though he knew it wasn't exactly his fault. As he sat there after dinner, he made a mental note to himself to visit Gringott's very soon; not only did he have some business to take care of, he thought he had a very nice wedding gift for his two best friends.

The sound of an excited and babbling toddler broke Harry out of his thoughts, and he smiled over at Ginny as she walked into the room carrying Teddy with her.

Ginny had to smile at the sight of Harry's face lighting up like it did, and very willingly placed the little one in Harry's outstretched arms before taking a seat next to him on the couch. She watched as Teddy immediately changed his hair color to a dark black with a happy gurgle; the boy had obviously not forgotten his godfather at all. Harry balanced his godson on his knees and started bouncing him up and down a bit while holding onto his arms.

Harry looked over at his girl, smile still plastered on his face. "This is much better than sitting in that hospital room all day..."

Ginny grinned. "I have to agree Harry. Mum was about to take him upstairs with her for some playtime, but I convinced her that he would be a much better remedy for you than sitting here by yourself."

He had to chuckle. "Now that is a doctor's order I am very happy to follow, love."

She leaned against him lightly and rested her head on his shoulder, continuing to take in the scene before her. Like earlier in the day, her arm wrapped around his almost subconsciously, as if she didn't want him to go anywhere. "What were you thinking about?"

Harry sighed a little. "Just trying to take everything in, really. So much has happened. I was thinking that I need to take care of a few things soon too, probably in the next few days."

"Like what, Harry?"

He looked over at her before focusing back on Teddy. "There's probably a few official things I have to do concerning Teddy here, and I had an idea for what I could get for Ron and Hermione's wedding present."

Ginny could tell there was something else there that he was mulling over. "And?"

Harry shrugged a little. "And I was thinking about my godmother, actually. She said last night when I woke up that she'd be there this morning, but we haven't seen her all day..."

A new voice from the doorway to the kitchen surprised them.

"I'm very sorry about that, Harry..."

Harry looked over to see Genevieve standing there and looking over at them, a bit of apprehension evident on her face.

"I didn't mean to overhear, but Molly said that the two of you were in here and that I should come right in..."

Ginny smiled and shook her head a bit, motioning to the nearby armchair. "Nothing private, don't worry. I was actually wondering where you had been all day too..."

Genevieve sighed a little as she took her seat opposite them and settled back in the chair. Her eyes drooped a little and focused on spot in her lap. "I've been pretty horrible about being there for you Harry," she said quietly. "I got so worried last night and convinced myself that there was no way you'd want me around. I wasn't there for you when you needed me the most, so why should I get to be here now when everything is right again?"

The room went quiet except for a few giggles from the happy toddler. Ginny couldn't help but frown; she hated the fact that Evie felt the way she did, but Harry's silence was troubling her even more. She was about to say something when she heard Harry speak up from his spot next to her.

"It's because you're here with us now that things are almost back to rights," he said quietly, with a small smile on his face. "Ever since I found out that Sirius was my godfather I've wondered what my godmother was like, and I thought I wouldn't ever get the chance. I'm not going to lie and say that I was okay growing up without you or Sirius, but I had two years to get to know him, and hopefully many, many more with you..."

He pulled Teddy closer to him and wrapped his arms around the boy gently. "I'd rather look forward to what the future has for us instead of dwelling in the past, wouldn't you?"

Genevieve smiled and chuckled a little before sniffing loudly and looking over at her godson. She shook her head a little as she took in the sight in front of her. "You know Harry, your mother was right on when she said you were the spitting image of James. Not only do you look like him, but you have his knack for getting people to see reason..."

"I call it his saving people thing," Ginny said with a little grin. "If he's not rescuing a damsel in distress he's getting people to stop berating themselves. Now if only he could do that for himself..."

Genevieve was amused to see a mock glare on Harry's face, and Ginny's tongue sticking out in response. She couldn't help but smile more at the couple's inter-play, which brought back a lot of happy memories of times with her two good friends.

The trio sat there for a while, making light conversation and getting to know each other better. Genevieve was able to talk about her job and the traveling she did for it, but she found that none of her stories could hold a candle to the ones these two had about their own adventures.

After listening to the two explain the situation that led up to Harry's abrupt disappearance, she had to sit quietly for a few moments in thought, her head slowly shaking as if she was in disbelief.

"Well, from what I've heard about you Harry, it seems like someone could write a whole book or two about you..."

Ginny giggled lightly. "A whole series, more likely."

The two women giggled more as Harry scowled at them, but even he knew his heart wasn't really behind the look on his face.

"So, now that you're back and everything, have you thought about what you want to do?"

Harry looked over at his godmother and shrugged. "Not too much, but I suppose we should," he said, looking over at Ginny. "Ginny will have team practices starting soon and I imagine they'll want me to start Auror training too. Before that we've got Ron and Hermione's wedding and our birthdays..."

Ginny noticed the look on his face. "What Harry? You've got that look that says you have an idea..."

Harry smiled widely. "I do. Once everything is figured out for the wedding, we'll pick some time out to go on vacation. You saw all the properties that were left to me, I think we should use one of them to just go and have a relaxing time."

He saw the excitement on Ginny's face and he was sure that it matched his own. "I'd like you to come too, Aunt Evie," he said as he looked over to his godmother.

Genevieve looked shocked for a moment. "Oh, I couldn't Harry... wouldn't you want the time alone with Ginny? I'd just be in the way."

It was Ginny who shook her head and answered. "Harry's right, you should come along with us, and I completely agree with him. What better way for the two of you to get to know each other? Besides, I'm sure you've been to some of the properties, so you can tell us all about them..."

The older witch bit her lower lip and looked over at Harry. He smiled and nodded. "I'd really love it if you came... don't make me pull a Sirius and use his puppy dog face."

Both women laughed. "Well, I could never resist that face anyway," Genevieve answered. "I guess my answer is yes..."

Ginny was able to tell instinctively what Harry was aching to do at that moment, and so she reached to lift the now sleeping Teddy from his lap. In the next moment, Harry was up out of his seat and crossing the small bit of space to where his godmother was sitting. Genevieve could barely stand in time to receive a very emotional hug. The redhead couldn't stop the tears from welling up in her eyes as she watched the other two; she didn't need her connection with Harry to sense all the happiness and emotions running wild in the room.

_It doesn't get much better than this,_ she thought to herself. Her Harry was back where he belonged, surrounded with his adoptive family, his godmother and godson. Most importantly he was back safe and sound with her. If there was a reason to at that very moment, she knew she could have produced a very bright and powerful Patronus, indeed.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading everyone! Apologies for such a long waiting time in between chapters - I got hit with a large case of writer's block to accompany the craziness of the holiday season. <em>

_Coming Soon: Harry and family confront George, a secret is discovered, and an old friend returns._

_Please favorite/follow/review if it strikes your fancy - I like to hear what people are thinking! Special thanks to my two Beta readers (Nova and Cerulean), for their help!_

_-MidnightEphemera_


	5. Light in the Dark

_Author's Note: The Potter universe and all its characters, places, names, etc. are not my creation, all credit belongs to JKR. I'm only providing my own storyline and using her sandbox to play in._

_Review Responses:_

17wilsonh (Chapter 2): No noteworthy scars? How about a lightning bolt on his forehead?

_You didn't read that wrong; Harry's lightning scar has disappeared. There's a tiny bit on that in this chapter, but it's a mystery that will be looked into throughout this book._

someone007 (Chapter 4): [...]- where has Genevieve been ALL THIS TIME? I SO hope we'll get answers to that - I personally think that the hugging part at the end was... well... a tiny bit too much... I mean, Harry doesn't really know her yet! I don't really think it is into Harry's character to be SO kind and forgiving... I am not saying he's NOT, but... for example, in DH, when Ron comes back, he still asks him rather sharply "How come you're here?" DESPITE everything they had gone through together during the past years... And THEN he forgives him when he understands how sorry Ron felt and the Deluminator part... Do u see what I mean? so with Harry and Evie and Ginny being on such good terms... Isn't it a bit early...? [...]

_ We most definitely will get an accounting of what Evie has been up to, just not this chapter. Soon though! As for Harry's emotions there - you do have a good point. I wouldn't say that he's completely forgiven Evie __**just**_ _yet, and he's certain not all buddy buddy with her. He has been looking for her for while though, and at this point in his life with him having lost so many people that he cared for, he's just happy to have another person to turn to. I'm actually looking forward to writing the growing relationship between those two._

_Enjoy the chapter!_

**Chapter 05 - Light in the Dark**

"_Your light buried the dark, a constant unwavering heart."_

_-Sarah McLachlan, Song for My Father_

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><p>It was very late in Diagon Alley. The whole shopping district was quiet and empty, aside from the ever-present goblin guards standing their post at the bank doors. There was not a soul in sight when George arrived at the back door to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes with a quiet popping noise.<p>

He sighed as he put his hand on the doorknob in front him, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. It had been hard for him to be here, in this place that reminded him so much of his brother, but after being away for so long he had felt an urge to come back and at least check on things. He knew he wasn't ready to face his family at the moment, not yet anyway. Tonight was the beginning for him, a step towards returning to normalcy, he thought.

The back door unlocked and opened automatically for him, recognizing the person who had set its security charm. Taking a deep breath, George stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He took a good, long look around the back store room and was confused for a moment until he realized that it was much more clean and organized than he had ever seen it. A small smile crossed his face as he wondered if all the organization had been Ron's doing or if Hermione had been let loose in the store for an afternoon.

After a quick peek at the sales floor from behind the curtain partition, George sighed and turned to look up the flight of stairs that led up to the second story flat that he had shared with Fred. Part of him wanted to just walk back outside and leave, but he was able to gather up the courage to continue on.

The flat was almost exactly the same as he had remembered leaving it, though there were signs of someone having tidied up here as well. He walked slowly around the living area for a bit before stopping at the window that looked out over a fair bit of the street below. He rested his forehead a bit on the glass pane and closed his eyes for a moment as old memories ran through his head.

Quite a bit of time had passed, though he didn't know how much, when the creak of a floorboard behind him got his attention. He turned quickly in surprise to see a figure standing in the doorway that led back down to the store. It was mostly dark in the room, but there was enough moonlight coming in to tell exactly who it was.

"Ang'?"

Angelina stood there without responding for a moment. She couldn't just yet with her mind racing so quickly. He was back! George was okay!

Before she knew it, her body was moving on its own towards him. It was slow and hesitant at first, but she took the last few steps across the room at a near run, colliding into him with full force as she wrapped her arms around him and started sobbing.

Not having expected such a reaction, George stood still there as his mind panicked. Part of his mind was screaming at him to run away again, to get far, far away from all these emotions that hurt too much. The impulse to stay away and spare himself from feeling anything he didn't want to almost had him shrugging out of her hug and bolting to the door, but then he felt something else.

His chest was getting wet.

It took him a moment to unfreeze from the self-inflicted panic, and when he was able to look down he saw that Angelina had buried her face into his chest and was crying softly. A new feeling started tugging at his heart, and he felt his whole body relax and soften as he realized what he had been doing to her, to his whole family. He had been so selfish, only thinking about himself and what he thought was best for himself, but the answer had been right here all along.

George freed one of his arms from Angelina's tight hold and wrapped it around her, rubbing her back softly. "Ang'... I'm so sorry…"

Angelina sniffled a bit at his words before pulling away from him a little to look up at him. She didn't say anything for a moment, finding it hard to string words together into a sentence.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly, barely above a whisper.

George sighed a little and nodded. "Aside from being a horrible and selfish jerk, yeah."

The faintest hint of a frown found its way onto her lips. "George, I've known you too long to accept a brush off like that..."

He shrugged a bit. "Yeah, fair enough. I really wasn't alright... Until just a moment ago I was planning to go hiding again."

Angelina bit her lower lip for a moment before looking up into his eyes. "But you're not...?"

George answered her hanging question by taking her hands in his and holding them together. "Not anymore. I realized that I can't keep having everyone worry about me... and that I need some help in getting through this..."

His voice choked a little as his eyes met hers. "And I don't want to keep putting you through my problems..."

Angelina teared up a little as she listened to him. "George... I don't care what you say, I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what problems you're having."

A disbelieving sound escaped him. "How in Godric's name could you even want me after what I've done?"

She smiled and squeezed his hands lightly. "Because you're you, George. I love you, and nothing is going to change that."

The words were simple, but they had a profound effect on George. He had known instinctually that he was loved, by his family, friends and by Angelina too, but his mind was boggled. How could she love him this much, after everything he had done? Not really knowing what to say he just leaned in and hugged her tightly, hoping that his feelings in that moment were being transferred to her somehow. "Thank you," he murmured into her hair.

Angelina smiled and pressed a kiss to his chest. "Always," she responded. "I'm here for you George, always remember that. Just know that I'm not going to be against beating that into you from now on..."

George snorted softly for a second at hearing that, and a small smile appeared on his face. "I will gladly take any beatings that you deem necessary, milady."

She smirked and nudged him in his ribcage. "Good, though I would much more prefer something a little less abusive..."

Her lips found his in a very tender kiss, which soon turned into a very passionate one as their hungry tongues met each other's. After four months of being apart, it was as if they couldn't get enough of each other. They were each hungry for more of each other, but their emotions went further than just base need.

This was a kiss of reunion, of coming home.

* * *

><p>It was a very well rested Harry that woke up the next morning on his own with a large yawn. His face scrunched up a little as he ran his hand over it and brushed some loose strands of hair away from his eyes. Something felt off to him, and it took him a few moments to focus his mind enough to figure out what it was; for the first time in a long while nothing else had woken him up.<p>

There was no alarm clock or charm buzzing at him and no loud and obnoxious dorm mates. A quick look around the room told him that he was alone. He smiled and sat up slowly, yawning again and stretching lazily. It was nice, he reflected, to have a good sleep-in every once in a while. He just didn't get a good opportunity to do so very often.

He jumped a little as the door to the bedroom opened a few inches, but smiled as he caught sight of his favorite shade of red hair. Ginny peeked carefully into the room, and when she saw him awake and sitting up she also smiled and pushed the door open the rest of the way.

"Morning Harry," she said quietly as she made her way over to the bed, taking a seat at the end. "Did you sleep well?"

Harry nodded. "I did, and I guess I must have needed it, I don't even remember falling asleep last night..."

Ginny giggled a little and ran her hand gently along his leg through the sheets. "By the time we walked up here last night you could barely keep your eyes open, love. I could barely get you into your pajamas."

A sheepish look crossed his face. "Sorry, I guess I was being a little stubborn. Both you and Evie were telling me to get to bed early…"

"And you say that _I'm_ the stubborn one," she said playfully with an amused look on her face.

Harry grinned and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "How early did you wake up?" he asked, seeing that she was already dressed in jeans and a loose t-shirt. "I didn't hog all the sheets did I?"

Ginny returned the grin. "No, you didn't run me out of the bed Harry. I just woke up with the sun and couldn't fall back asleep. I didn't want to wake you with my tossing and turning so I got dressed and stole Teddy from Mum's room."

"Well, if you _have_ to leave our bed for another man I'm glad it's only Teddy," he said as he shook his head, chuckling at the light swat she gave to his arm. Ginny had a small scowl on her lips, but it was betrayed by a bit of mirth in her eyes. Taking her hand, Harry pressed a few kisses across her knuckles before looking back up into her brown eyes. "It feels so good to be back,"

Fighting hard against the tears that wanted to build up in her eyes, Ginny smiled and choked back the sudden emotions she was feeling. Harry was back, and that was all she needed. Crying over what had happened wouldn't help a single bit. "I'm very glad you are," she said softly, turning her hand around and intertwining her fingers with his.

Her other hand slowly moved up to his forehead, and Harry could feel her gentle motions as she pushed back a strand of his unruly black hair. She studied him for a moment before speaking up. "You know, it's really bizarre to see you without the scar..." she murmured quietly. "I wonder how it got removed."

Harry smiled and shrugged a bit. "I don't have any idea, really. I'm sort of glad it's gone though," he said. "No more constant reminder of Tom being up there."

They both sat there quietly for a moment before Ginny smiled again and scooted over to stand up. "Come on then, why don't you get ready and come downstairs for some breakfast. Mum's been keeping some warm for you."

Harry nodded and unraveled himself from the tangle of sheets he was in. "She's still here? I thought she'd be at the cafe by now."

Ginny sighed a little but still had a smile on as she extended a hand out to help him out of bed. "You know Mum. Nothing gets in the way of making sure that we're feeling alright and eating enough."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later, Harry stopped at the doorway into the kitchen and smiled as he took in the scene before him. Mrs. Weasley was at the stove, working at a few pots and pans. At the other end of the room, Ginny was sitting at the end of one of the long benches and watching Teddy in his highchair as the little boy chewed on a piece of toast with one hand and pushed a spoon around with the other on the tray in front of him.<p>

Knowing that he wouldn't be able to sit down and eat without getting by the woman who had become a mother to him, Harry made a little noise to announce himself. Mrs. Weasley looked over as she heard him and immediately put down her spatula to walk over to him.

Harry stood there with small lopsided smile under her gaze. "I feel perfectly fine Mum," he said quietly. "I should sleep in more often, leave all the chores to Ginny..."

He looked over to see the scowl on his girlfriend's face and winked at her before turning back to Molly. The Weasley matriarch was attempting a stern look on her, but gave up on it after a few moments with a little chuckle.

"Yes, well I won't deny that a good sleep in every once in a while will do a person wonders. However, it won't get you out of doing things around here. Let me get you your breakfast and then you can dry all the dishes there in the sink. You know where the dishtowels are..."

Harry grinned and took a seat at the table across from Ginny. "Yes, Mum." He'd take the easy chore with no complaints; he was in a rather good mood.

He looked over at Ginny and Teddy as he dug into his plate of food and watched as his godson continued to make a slight ruckus with the spoon. There was a determined look of concentration as the boy pushed the utensil around the edge of the plastic tray over and over.

Ginny caught his eye and they both smiled.

"He hasn't said any words yet?"

Mrs. Weasley shook her head as she sat down next to him. "No, but that's not terribly uncommon. Every baby is a bit different; Percy didn't say his first word until two months before his second birthday or so. This little one however," she said with a smile and glance at her daughter, "started talking very early and just wouldn't stop."

"Mum!"

Ginny blushed a deep red at that, while both her lover and mother chuckled. She shook her head a bit and stuck her tongue out a bit at Harry. "Yes, well. Teddy will start speaking when he's ready, but he's a very smart boy already," she said proudly before proceeding to play a game with the boy, in which she would name a body part and Teddy responded by pointing at it.

Harry watched with a big smile, thinking not only about the next little while with Ginny but even further down the line. He could just imagine a similar scene years in the future with their own children.

Molly had a large smile of her own as she watched how Harry's face light up with wonder and joy. She had seen the same exact looks on Arthur's face so many times throughout the years with their children. Deep down, she knew that Harry was going to do whatever it took to raise Teddy well. She also knew that Ginny was going to stand right by his side without hesitation. Molly hadn't expected to see Ginny taking such an active role in caring for child as if it were her own for a few more years, but she was proud nonetheless.

"So, do you have any plans for the rest of the summer?" Molly asked them as she stirred her tea.

Ginny looked over for a moment at Harry before shrugging. "Aside from talking about a vacation, we haven't really decided on anything. We only have a month before my full time practices start though."

"Auror training starts around then as well, though I suppose I'll need to have a talk with Kingsley first..." Harry said thoughtfully. It was only because he was looking down at his plate and scooping up the last bit of scrambled eggs that he missed the look that mother and daughter shared.

"I do need to go to Diagon Alley soon though," he mused. "I'll need to get a new wand since no one knows what happened to mine after I disappeared."

Ginny had a thoughtful look. "What about your parent's wands? Could you use either of them?"

Harry frowned. "In a pinch, I guess. Neither of them worked all that well as my own when I tried them before. I might as well just stop by Ollivander's, since I need to visit Gringotts too."

Seeing the confused look on Mrs. Weasley's face, he continued. "There's a few things I wanted to see in my family vault, and the goblins have all the information about where the Potter properties are. I'm sure one of them would be perfect for a trip."

Ginny smiled and looked over at him. _I remember something about a beach house in France?_

_France it is then, love. I wouldn't mind a quiet place to relax._

Molly realized that the two were speaking through their bond right then, but held back the prying questions she had for them. She was of course very curious about their connection, and also had a few choices words for them about keeping such things secret, but it would keep. There was no reason to cause any problems or worries right then, not when Harry had just come back to them.

All four occupants of the kitchen were slightly surprised just then as an owl flew in through an open window and landed on the edge of the tray on the highchair. The brown owl looked slightly shocked and a bit annoyed at the happy gurgling sound that Teddy made right behind it, and quickly shifted away with a hoot when the little boy made a grab for its feathers.

Molly recognized the owl as one of belonging to George's store and quickly untied the short scroll attached to its leg, which allowed the bird to get out of harm's way and over to the top of the nearby cabinet for a quick rest.

Both Harry and Ginny looked on as the note was read quietly. Molly's gasp and subsequent smile had them both wondering what had happened. Before either of them could ask anything, Molly was up out of her seat and getting ready to leave. "The note's from Ron," she said excitedly. "Guess who he found in the flat above the store this morning?"

The young couple grinned as they realized that George had decided to come home. As the back door closed behind Mrs. Weasley, Harry turned the parchment around on the table so that they could both read what it said.

Ginny snickered as she looked back up and over at Harry. "Ron found George _and _Angelina up there? I hope he gave them fair warning about telling Mum, he didn't exactly say what they were doing when he found them..."

"George and Angelina? Why would you be worried about them? They're proper, polite angels those two are..."

Harry tried to keep a straight face after saying that, but it didn't last for long as both he and Ginny broke down in laughter, joined shortly thereafter by a giggling Teddy.

* * *

><p><em>So, just a short filler type chapter this time - otherwise this chapter would've run very long and you wouldn't have seen any of it for a while! I apologize for the lack of updates recently, but the holiday season just decided to take a life of its own and keep me busy. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!<em>

_Thanks for reading! Please follow/favorite and/or review if you so choose. Special thanks to my beta readers._

_-Midnight_


	6. Balance

_Author's Note: The Potter universe and all its characters, places, names, etc. are not my creation, all credit belongs to JKR. I'm only providing my own storyline and using her sandbox to play in._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 06 - Balance **

"_I got lost, but look what I found."_

- Irving Berlin

* * *

><p>Harry stumbled out of the fireplace in the Leaky Cauldron, catching his balance just in time to avoid wiping out and knocking over the empty chairs at a nearby table. He shook his head and sighed as he brushed some soot off of his shoulder, wondering what it was that caused him to have problems or reactions to nearly every means of transportation in the magical world.<p>

The fireplace next to him flared green again for a few moments and once they had died down Ginny stepped out of the flames gracefully, carrying Teddy in a carrier on her back. Neither of them had been confident enough to try apparating with the little boy for their trip into Diagon Alley; Ginny hadn't had much practice with Side-Along, and Harry couldn't apparate at all at the moment since he didn't have a wand on him.

It took Ginny just one look at Harry and his disheveled state for a coy smile to play across her lips.

"How much damage did you do this time?"

Harry grinned and shook his head once more. "Caught myself just in time, thank you very much. Give me some credit Gin', I'm not absolutely horrible at it."

Ginny giggled a little at that, which caused Teddy to break out in a laugh as well.

"You too little guy?" Harry asked his godson, playing at being wounded by the two of them. His act was in vain though, as he couldn't help but smile whenever he saw the ever-happy child.

The good mood the three were in was noticed by a few of the patrons sitting at the tables and bar, and it didn't take too long before the whispers started and people began staring at them rather obviously. Harry sighed and looked over at Ginny, who was trying to hold back a scowl.

_Honestly, _Harry heard her say over their mental connection. _It's as if an elephant wearing a tutu just walked into the room._

_I thought people would be over this 'hero worship' thing already, _he mused. _I guess the Daily Prophet has been having a field day with the news that I'm back..._

Ginny caught his annoyed tone and moved to close the small distance between them. Wrapping her arm around his, she deftly turned him towards the back entrance and started walking. _Just let them be love. It's just like rumors at Hogwarts; the fire will die down if you don't give it anything to eat up. _

He nodded as they walked out into the small open-air courtyard behind the establishment. "You're right," he said out loud, "I just don't think I'll ever get used to it happening."

Ginny grinned. "Well, at least I don't have to worry about your head getting too big from listening to all those fans of yours..."

Harry sought his revenge for her playful comment in the form of a small tickle attack, which filled the small space with a few happy shrieks and giggling. There was a goofy smile on his face as he was eventually pushed a few feet away from her. "Would you care to do the honours milady?" he asked, motioning his hand towards the brick wall.

Still sporting a wide grin and a bit of a reddish tinge on her cheeks, Ginny nodded and pulled her wand out to tap the correct sequence of bricks. In the next moment, she was back against his side and on his arm as they started their outing down the Alley.

The narrow cobblestone street wasn't as occupied as Harry had expected it to be and he was both pleasantly surprised and relieved by that fact, not really wanting to have to deal with people right then and there.

"So," Ginny started next to him. "Where do you want to stop first?"

Harry shrugged a bit as he looked around at the many different store fronts. "I don't really have a plan, but I suppose I should get that new wand sooner than later."

"Well then, Ollivander's it is."

Just a few short minutes later they stepped in through the front door of the wand shop, looking around as the little bell tied to the door jingled to announce their presence. There was a smell of dust and wood shavings in the air, a familiar scent which brought the memory of Harry's first visit to the forefront of his mind. From the amused feeling he could sense across their bond, Harry could tell that Ginny was also thinking about her first visit and how similar their experiences had been.

Unlike those times, both Harry and Ginny heard Mr. Ollivander's approaching from the rear of the store before seeing him. The older wizard moved slowly down a cluttered aisle towards them assisted by a cane.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. I hadn't expected to see you for quite a few more years from now, when your first child was ready for their wand... I haven't lost a few years, have I?"

The young couple shared an amused look before Harry looked back at the man. "No, you haven't lost any years Mr. Ollivander. I'm actually here for myself today. How are you doing?" he asked politely, eyeing the cane quickly.

Ollivander peered over at Ginny and Teddy for a few moments with an appraising eye. "That would be the young Lupin boy, then. I remember the wands his parents bought like it was just yesterday. Yours as well, Harry. Holly with a core of phoenix feather, 11 inches. I did say you would do great things with that wand... Hmm yes... what's happened to it?"

Harry winced a little under the older man's gaze. "Well, it apparently disappeared with me a few months ago, but it didn't come back."

A set of old and prying eyes looked hard into Harry's for a few long moments. "I see. It was a good wand, that one. Suppose we should get you a new one then."

Harry felt almost relieved as Ollivander turned around slowly and made his way over to a long shelf that was full of boxes. The wandmaker had an uncanny way of making him feel uncomfortable each time they met. He watched as Ollivander picked out a few boxes from around his shop, seemingly at random, before stopping at the front counter and looking over at Harry.

"The wand chooses the wizard Harry, I know you remember that. Come now, let's give a few of these a try."

Remembering his first experience with selecting a wand, Harry picked up the first one he was offered and held it gingerly. Nothing happened for a few moments as he waited for the wand to respond. There was no warm tingling like there had been with his holly wand, but he decided to give it a shot anyway.

"Avis!"

All three of them looked expectantly at the wand, which should have conjured a few small birds. Instead, the wand let loose a few small puffs of black smoke and squawked like a chicken. Ginny couldn't hold in her fit of giggles as Harry set the wand back in it's box, and even Mr. Ollivander had an amused look on his face.

"We shall stay away from the mahogany then," he said brightly as he pushed another opened box across the counter towards Harry.

It took a few more boxes and another trip out into the shelves for the wandmaker before Harry found a match. The moment he picked up the wand, he felt the familiar tingling in his hand and he felt a smile growing on his lips.

"This one feels right," he said confidently as he looked over at Ginny.

She smiled back happily at him. "Go on and try it then."

Harry looked down at the wand for a moment and twirled it around, getting a feel for its weight and balance. After a quick pause, he pointed the tip at the open space at the front of the store and conjured a comfortable-looking armchair out of thin air. His grin grew larger as he moved the wand about in a complicated pattern, transfiguring the piece of furniture into a small, yappy poodle. He tried a silent levitation spell and sent the dog flying around the room a bit before turning it into a butterfly. The brilliantly-colored creature flew around both Ginny and Teddy's heads once before disappearing out the open window.

"Excellent! A very nice display Mr. Potter. I do enjoy assisting those who have a control of their magic more than those just off to school. It makes for a much nicer show."

Harry grinned. "And a lot less clean up, I'm sure."

The older wizard chuckled a little as he took the wand back, looking at it for a moment before taking a polishing rag to it. "Fir wood, ten and half inches. A survivor's wand as my grandfather called them; sturdy and steadfast. Good for Transfiguration. Unicorn hair for the core, very consistent and reliable. On the whole, not the best for amplifying power, but I don't foresee that to be a problem for you, Mr. Potter."

Blushing a little, Harry shook his head and reached into his pocket to pull out the handful of coins he had stuffed there. He quickly counted out the standard 7 galleons for the wand, and left another on the counter as a tip.

The older man shook his head and picked up the extra coin, putting it back in Harry's hand as he passed over the wand and its box. "I thank you very much, Harry, but I cannot accept the extra money... not after what you and your friends did to help me."

Harry fought off another blush and thought about insisting on the tip, before remembering a conversation he had had with Ginny the previous year. With a smile, he nodded and slid the wand up his sleeve and into the holster that he wore there out of habit. "Thank you, Mr. Ollivander. It was good to see you again."

"And you as well, Mr. Potter. Please do take better care of this wand... as much as I enjoy your company I'd rather not need to sell you another until you bring young Mr. Lupin for his, or your own child's..."

Ginny blushed as the older wizard looked back and forth at her and Harry with a slight grin on his wrinkled face. She didn't need to take a look at Harry to know that he was most likely sporting red cheeks as well.

The three exchanged their goodbyes and a few moments later, the two of them plus Teddy found themselves out in the Alley again. Ginny was the first to speak up. "Is it just me, or is he getting more and more batty each time I see him?"

Harry chuckled lightly and pressed a kiss to the side of her head. "It isn't just you Gin'. He's barmy as ... Ow!"

Ginny turned quickly to see Harry without his glasses and rubbing his ear. The happy sounds coming from the little boy strapped to her back answered her question before it was even asked. Instead, she grinned widely as she watched Harry gently pull his glasses out of Teddy's grasp.

"I was wondering when he would start grabbing at those... he's been grabbing at almost everything else lately."

Harry smirked as he cleaned the lenses quickly on his robes and stuck the frames back on his face. "And you're okay with letting him ride back there where he can grab at your hair?"

Ginny laughed happily as she sidled up to him. "Teddy's past that phase, thank Merlin. Both Mum and I had to keep our hair up in buns for a few weeks..."

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Harry was inspecting a new display of shape-changing fireworks near one end of the counter at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes and chatting with Ron while Ginny and Angelina were doing the same at the other end, Teddy sitting between them.<p>

"Mum's been up there this whole time?" Ginny asked Angelina quietly, looking past the curtain into the back room and up the stairs. "It's been hours since she got that owl, poor George..."

There was a small, yet happy smile on the other girl's face. "I don't think it's all that bad actually, Ron and I haven't heard any yelling yet. I think they're just talking, and that's really good you know? He has a lot to get off his chest..."

Ginny nodded and sighed before turning back to look at her friend. Angelina was entertaining Teddy with a game of peekaboo using her hands, which was amusing the boy immensely. A smile crossed her own face as she watched them. "You haven't tried to go back up there to spend time with him?"

Angelina laughed lightly, something Ginny hadn't heard in a long while. "And risk your mother getting upset? No, I'll be alright until they're done. I spent most of the night and morning up there anyway..." she said, trailing off.

"Mmhmm, I thought as much. You really can't keep your hands off of George, can you..."

The slightly older witch grinned, still playing with Teddy. "I wouldn't say anything if I were you Ginny, I'm quite sure I know exactly where Harry has been sleeping since he came back. Besides, it's been four months..."

Angelina looked up to see a blush on Ginny's cheeks and broke out laughing. "Honestly, you still get embarrassed by talking about it?"

Ginny shrugged a bit meekly. "I, err, don't really talk or think about it much."

"But you _have _...?"

"_Yes,_" she answered quickly and with a whisper. "Once. We've done, other stuff I guess, but not since he came back."

Angelina shook her head and clucked her tongue. "You're not going to break him Ginny... Well, hopefully not for too long anyway."

Ginny felt like her cheeks were burning up, and she clamped her hands lightly over Teddy's ears. "Don't be trying to ruin his innocence Ang'!"

There was a hint of glee in Angelina's response. "Teddy's innocence is intact, I'm sure. We just need to work on _yours_..."

The redhead sighed and threw up her hands. "I give up! There's no stopping you when you get like this."

"Better believe it..."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Mmhmm. Alright, well it seems like Mum could be at it for a while longer. Would you mind watching Teddy while Harry and I stop at Gringotts?"

Angelina's smile widened. "Not at all, you know I can't get enough of this little guy. We're gonna have some fun aren't we Teddy?"

"Fffffff-"

Ginny smiled at the beginnings of the little boy's speech and ran a hand through his hair as she walked by. "Shouldn't take too long..."

Angelina watched as Ginny crossed the short space over to the boys, collected Harry and left through the front door. She smiled as she idly played with the toddler sitting on the counter in front of her, knowing how lucky she was to be feeling the same as those two were right then.

She was broken from her thoughts by Mrs. Weasley's voice.

"Angelina dear, could you come up here for a moment?"

Her curiosity piqued, Angelina stuck her head through the doorway and around the corner to respond. "Of course, one moment."

Picking Teddy up she paused for a moment to think, then made up her mind. She crossed the room to where Ron was, and got his attention by tapping his shoulder before holding the little boy out to him.

"They want me upstairs. Keep an eye out on Teddy?"

Ron froze up as he looked from Angelina to Teddy. "You're kidding, right? I don't know the first thing about..."

Angelina shook her head, sighing loudly. "He's not an infant, Ron. Just keep him out of trouble and play with him a bit. Your Mum and I are just upstairs if anything happens."

Ron suddenly found his arms full with a slightly squirmy toddler. He looked over at Angelina's retreating form and was about to call after her when he felt a little finger in his ear. He started a little at the odd sensation, which set Teddy off on a fit of giggles. A smile crossed his face as he relaxed a few moments later, realizing that he'd be okay.

* * *

><p>The back door to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes opened and closed quietly as Hermione let herself in. There was a small smile on her face as she peeked around the small stockroom and work area, looking for Ron. She heard a few voices carrying down the stairs, and figured that her soon to be mother-in-law was still there talking with George, who had returned the night before. It was her lunch break, and even though they lived together and she saw him every single day, she had felt an urge to visit and surprise her fiance.<p>

That word made her feel giddy every time she thought about it; fiance. Even though she and Ron had been engaged since Christmas, she still couldn't believe it sometimes. She had never really expected to find someone who loved her like Ron did; and while she dreamed and fantasized about her wedding like every other girl did, she hadn't really ever expected it to happen.

She also didn't expect to see what she did when she poked her head through the curtains to look out at the main part of the store. The smile she was wearing turned into a grin just as wide as Teddy's was. Her heart soared and skipped a little as she watched the love of her life play with the little boy so comfortably right in front of her eyes. Out of all the Weasley's, Ron had always been the most hesitant to watch over or play with Teddy. It had been bothering Hermione a little bit, but that all disappeared as she watched the happy smiles on both of their faces.

She didn't know how long she'd been watching the two when Teddy managed to smash his thumb under the small wooden block he'd been banging on the countertop. Hermione jumped a little, mirroring Ron's action as the little boy started crying. She nearly shot forward from her hiding spot before stopping herself. While she did want to go and comfort Teddy, she was also curious as to how Ron would handle the situation. Her heart leaped again as she saw Ron pick Teddy up and comfort him gently, running a hand along the boy's back. Though she wanted to just stay where she was and keep watching, she forced herself to step back into the storeroom and make her way out. She really needed to get back to work, she told herself, and there would be plenty of time to properly show and tell Ron what she was feeling later on.

* * *

><p>"Mr. Potter. It's very good to see you again."<p>

Harry and Ginny looked up and over to the doorway of the small office that they had been ushered into a few minutes earlier. The door closed quickly and locked itself behind the goblin who was Harry's account manager.

Harry nodded politely to the goblin as the three of them sat down at the large desk. "It is good to see you as well, Manager Brodock. I hope business is well?"

The shorter being looked over at Harry thoughtfully for a moment, remembering that this particular client of his wasn't like most others, and actually meant well. "Well enough, thank you." He looked over at the young lady sitting next to Harry and nodded respectfully. "Miss Weasley, it is good to meet you as well. Your brother is enjoying his new career?"

Ginny hid her surprise at being recognized and addressed Brodock as best as she could. "Err, he is, yes. I'll tell him you asked."

Brodock gave them both a toothy smile that looked a bit scary with the shape of his teeth. "What can I assist you with today Mr. Potter?"

Harry sat up a bit straighter in his chair. "There are a few things I need to check on, and I'd like to visit my vault today as well," he answered quietly.

The goblin regarded him for a moment. "This would be about your godson then, if I'm not mistaken." He continued after getting a nod. "According to the will of the late Andromeda Tonks, you were listed as the boy's primary guardian in the event of her death, but I'm sure you already knew that. Assuming that you intend to fulfill that role, you would be placed in control of the trust fund that was set up in young Theodore's name."

Harry nodded. "What kind of shape is the fund in?"

Brodock opened one of the folders that he had brought in with him and looked at it for a moment. "It is doing very well on it's own. Mrs. Tonks ordered that every Knut of her savings, along with those of her daughter and son-in-law be added to the fund. The sum that you gave her last year is also included in the amount."

Ginny watched as Harry breathed out quietly and closed his eyes for a moment. She could tell that he was nervous, and that the responsibility he now held was weighing down on him a bit. Reaching out over their connection she sent a wave of encouraging thoughts his way, and smiled warmly at him when he looked back at her.

Feeling a bit better than before, Harry smiled back at her before turning to his banker. "That's good. I have a few things that need to be set up or put into place regarding Teddy. I assume that you can help me get all the paperwork in order?"

Brodock nodded and picked up a quill to take some notes. "Of course. What directives do you have?"

"First, the trust account set up for Teddy is not to be touched or used until he turns seventeen, at which time he will be given full access to it. Until then, I will take care of anything that he needs, including his school tuition."

"Very good sir. I know that we have not yet discussed setting up your Will, and perhaps that is a subject for another time, but I should insist on you creating a list of alternate guardians for the boy…"

Harry could feel Ginny tense up next to him and he reached over, finding her hand to soothe her anxiety and nerves. "I don't plan on passing on anytime soon, or disappearing again for that matter, but I suppose it's a good idea just in case. If anything should happen to me, Ginny will be Teddy's primary guardian."

He looked over to Ginny as if asking if that was alright by her, and smiled wide at her response.

_Well of course, Harry. Did you even have to ask?_

Emboldened, he continued on talking to the banker. "You can list Arthur and Molly Weasley, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, Bill and Fleur Weasley, and the other Weasley brothers as secondary guardians. Any one of them would be glad to take care of Teddy. Any expenses for Teddy's upbringing will be covered by the Potter Family vault," he said confidently at the end.

Brodock caught on to what Harry was saying and nodded. "I will make sure that your request is included in the documentation and passed along. Is there anything else that I can do for you?"

Harry thought for a moment and then nodded. "I'd also like to set up an account, or some type of fund for scholarships for one or two new first-years attending Hogwarts each year. I expect I'll be meeting with Professor McGonagall soon anyways, so we'll come up with some structure for it soon enough."

"Easily done Mr. Potter. I can set up the fund within a day once we establish its source. Your own family vault or from the Black family holdings?"

"The Black vault, please. I'd like to put that money to some _good_ use."

The goblin looked up at Harry and noted the emphasis that he used on the word 'good'. "This will most definitely be a worthy cause, sir. Is there anything else I can assist you with here, or are you ready to visit your vault?"

Harry smiled as he stood with Ginny. "Just the vault, please."

* * *

><p>Ten minutes and a crazy cart ride later, Harry and Ginny were standing just inside the door to his family's vault. Harry had been nervous for the entire length of the ride; Ginny hadn't yet seen the vault and he was worried what she would think of him once she saw all the valuables and expensive items that were in storage.<p>

After stepping in past the door, Ginny froze as she took a look around the very large stone room. It had to be at least twenty times bigger than her own family's vault, and it was very full. There were pieces of furniture everywhere covered up with sheets for protection, trunks stacked one upon the other and armoires full of clothing. It took her a few moments to realize that Harry was looking at her worriedly, and she blushed a bit before turning to him and putting a hand on his arm.

_Sorry Harry, I guess I got lost there for a moment._

Harry smiled a bit and looked around the room as well. _It is a lot, isn't it…_

Ginny sighed and wrapped her arm around his, her new favorite spot of comfort with him. _You were worried about what I'd think when I saw all of this? Oh Harry,_ she said quietly, pressing a kiss to his forehead. _You worry too much. I love you for who you are, and I know that's why you love me. _

She waved her free arm around at the large room in front of them. _All of this is great, but it's nothing compared to knowing that I have you._

He breathed in relief and returned her kiss with a smile. _I'd give it all up for a small shack with a leaky roof if I had to. _

Ginny giggled in his mind. _If I were in your shoes, so would I. I love you for __**you**__, Harry._

_And I love you for you too, Gin'. _

The two stood there for a few moments looking at each other with smiles before Ginny unwrapped herself from him and cleared her throat, looking around again. "So Brodock said the keys to the vacation homes were down here?"

Harry nodded and moved the large painting he had seen the last time out of his way. "Supposedly. My parents put most of their valuables here before they were holed up in Godric's Hollow." He moved over to the small chest that he had looked in before, the one that included his mother's jewelry box and the wedding rings. "Last time I was in here, I found some documents and stuff in here, so just maybe…"

Ginny joined him just as he pulled out a parchment envelope that jingled with the sound of keys. They both grinned at each other and Harry opened the packet carefully, pulling out a small stack of deeds and a large ring that held an odd assortment of keys. Harry ran his fingers along a few of them and picked one out to look at it more closely, seeing if there were any markings to tell what it opened. Harry gasped as the key glowed yellow for a moment, and in the next moment he was shaking his head as if clearing it.

Ginny looked at him strangely. "Harry? You alright?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, that was really strange though. I was wondering what house the key was to, and as I held it I could see the front door of a cabin in my mind…"

"The cabin in Canada, you think?"

He shrugged. "Possibly. That's a pretty nifty way to remember which key is which, though it probably took more time to charm these than it would to just etch some initials…"

Ginny giggled at him as she rifled through the papers from the envelope. "Here we go," she said a few moments later, turning a page so he could look at it. "It's the deed and address to the house in France… if you still want to go there."

Pocketing the keyring, he reached over to wrap his arm around Ginny's waist. "Wherever you want to go is alright by me Ginny. I'd even go for a rusty old shack with a leaky roof if I was there with you…"

Harry found himself in a long lingering kiss in the next moment, and he smiled a bit as they both relaxed into each other.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks for reading! I know there weren't any answers to all those burning questions in this chapter, but we're heading there - I promise!<em>

_Big thanks to all those who take the time to review, favorite or follow - each and every little bit shows me that people actually take the time to read this dribble that I put out, and for that I'm grateful! Special thanks to Nova, my Beta reader - without her I'd be stuck somewhere in a murky bog being tripped over and over by a Hinkypunk._

_-Midnight_


	7. Fire and Ice

_Author's Note: The Potter universe and all its characters, places, names, etc. are not my creation, all credit belongs to JKR. I'm only providing my own storyline and using her sandbox to play in._

_Warning: M rated material in this chapter._

_Note: This chapter begins right after the previous one, and then skips ahead a bit to Harry's birthday._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 07 - Fire and Ice**

"_With mirth and laughter let old wrinkles come." _

- William Shakespeare

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Hermione and Ron apparated just inside the door of the small flat that they now called home. As was their norm for a weekday evening, they had been at the Burrow for dinner, and the waiting to get home had bugged Hermione nearly the whole time; which in itself had bothered her even more. She loved being at the Burrow surrounded by the Weasleys as much as her own family, but on this particular night all she had wanted to do was to get Ron home and alone with her.<p>

Ron had just kicked off his shoes into the mat next to the door and was starting to turn around to speak to Hermione when he felt himself being pushed up against the wall. The quick moment of panic he felt left him the instant he felt Hermione's lips mashed against his. The couple stayed like that for quite a long time, making out like it was their first kiss ever and only stopping to take a few fleeting but necessary breaths.

When he felt Hermione finally parting herself from him a little Ron opened his eyes to look over at her, not missing the happy spark in her eyes. "Blimey, 'Mione! Not that I'm complaining or anything, but what brought that on?"

Hermione laughed softly and pressed a finger to his nose before answering. "You did."

Seeing his confused look, one that she had become endearingly accustomed to on Ron, she smiled warmly and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her face close to his. "I was going to surprise you at my lunch today and visit you at the store, but then I saw you taking care of and playing with Teddy and all I could do was stand there and watch."

He blushed a little and looked down away from her gaze. "Harry and Ginny needed to stop at Gringotts and Angelina got called up to talk with Mum and George," he said, shrugging. "I guess I had to…" He stopped speaking as Hermione cut him off, placing a finger against his lips.

"Don't," she said quietly, lifting his chin up so that he was looking at her once more. "you were _good_ with him. Just watching the two of you brought so many emotions up…"

Ron smiled and ran his hands up and down her sides, letting her continue.

"I don't know what to call it really, I guess some sort of maternal instinct," she mumbled quietly before turning his head slightly so she could plant kisses and nibble at the spot just below his ear that she knew he liked.

He moaned a little bit at her touch and instinctively pulled her closer. "'Mione, we're not even married yet…"

Hermione giggled into his neck and lifted her head to look at him. "I'm not talking about having children right now Ron, don't worry. I want you all to myself for a long time… but after seeing you taking care of Teddy like you were earlier today, I just know that we'll do fine as parents, whenever it happens."

She smiled and nuzzled her nose into his neck again before whispering into his ear. "But doesn't mean I don't want to jump your bones right now…"

Ron's eyes shot open and he looked at her for a few short moments before neatly picking her up and carrying her through the flat and to their bedroom. Hermione squealed a little as her feet left the ground but didn't fight him; she loved it when Ron did things like this, that showed how possessive and protective he was over her.

In what seemed like no time at all the couple was tumbling into their comfortable bed, already free of any clothing. Ron started to position himself to play with her most private of areas, before being pushed down into the bedding on his back. When he glanced up, he saw Hermione straddling his legs and looking back down at him with a mixture of love and lust in her eyes.

"I wasn't using a saying just then Ron," she said huskily, leaning over him a bit to plant kisses on him. "I literally want to…"

"Jump my bones…" Ron finished, moaning at the sensations she was causing on his chest. "Got it."

Hermione grinned as she lightly raked her fingernails down his chest before focusing on the part of him that she really wanted in the moment. His stiffness was already hard and impressive, but after being together with Ron for so long, she knew exactly what to do to extend the pleasures she knew he was feeling.

Ron let himself relax against the pillows and sheets that were under him, breathing hard and moaning as he let his lover do whatever she wanted to him. Normally he would be reciprocating in some way, but tonight it seemed like Hermione was on a mission. He definitely hadn't expected this to happen tonight.

He lost all track of awareness as he concentrated on the sensations coming from her ministrations, and regained it only when he felt Hermione stop what she was doing for a few, brief moments. Opening his eyes just in time, he watched as she slid up along his legs and planted herself atop his member in one fluid motion.

The suddenness of her action made both of them gasp in pleasure, and within moments he could feel her grinding both back and forth, and up and down his shaft. His hands moved on their own over to Hermione, traveling up and down her long, shapely legs as she leaned back slightly. Both of them were moaning loudly as they pleased and satisfied each other in the most intimate of ways.

She was nearly to the top of her cliff and was ready to take a running leap off of it when she heard Ron's breathing turn heavier and more sporadic. Knowing that he was right there with her, she grinned and leaned forward until she was resting on her arms.

Ron looked up at her and felt his heart skip a beat or two as he took in the image in front of him. Her long, brown hair was loose and splayed all around them. There was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead and cheeks just as there was on his face, but his eyes could only focus on her own. There was a fire in them, a passion and longing that he could feel right to his very core.

Hermione smiled down at him and managed to say two words around her moaning.

"Do me."

* * *

><p>The sound of birds chirping and a light breeze moving through the trees greeted Harry as he woke up slowly. A smile crossed his lips as he realized that he had fallen asleep out in the woods behind the Burrow with his head resting in Ginny's lap. A hand moved gently through his hair and he opened his eyes to find a pair of brown ones looking down at him.<p>

"Have a good nap?" Ginny asked him with a warm smile.

"Yeah," Harry said, letting loose a yawn that he couldn't hold back. "Sorry, didn't mean to fall asleep on you love."

Ginny continued running her hand lazily through his messy black hair. "It's alright Harry, it is nice and peaceful out here. Besides, we really didn't get all that much sleep last night…"

Her comment was met with a grin as he remembered what they had been doing until the early hours of the morning. Both he and Ginny had slept late and missed breakfast, barely having any time to dress and have a quick lunch before being run out of the house by Mrs. Weasley so she could prepare his birthday meal.

Harry sat up slowly and shifted around to sit against the pair's favorite tree trunk, wrapping an arm around Ginny as he felt her shifting to get closer to him.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Not all that long,' Ginny replied, happy with how close they were at the moment. "Maybe a half hour or so."

The two grew quiet for a while, enjoying each other's company and their peaceful surroundings.. With their bond, the two sometimes found no need to speak to each other, verbally or mentally. Ginny enjoyed these moments where she could just relax and let her thoughts wander knowing that Harry could pick up on them, and she could pick up on his. She thought it was a wonderful way for them to become even closer than they already were.

Harry heard the familiar melodic trilling first. His eyes opened quickly and a puzzled look shot across his face as he remembered where he had heard the soothing sound before. Sensing his confusion and thoughts, Ginny looked around as well, scanning the nearby treetops. She didn't have to look far before she caught sight of something that she hadn't ever expected to see in the woods around her home.

Feeling Ginny's nudge from beside him, Harry followed her gaze until he caught sight of the bird as well.

"Fawkes?"

The brilliantly-colored bird bobbed its head up and down as it trilled its greeting once again. Ginny looked over at Harry in amazement as the phoenix spread its wings and took off to glide down towards them. Their incredulity rose even more as they soon heard a quiet voice inside their minds.

_It is good to see you again, Harry._

Harry had to take a few moments before answering the bird. _You too, Fawkes. I didn't know that you could talk like this to anyone._

_Not just anyone, _the bird said with a hint of amusement in his tone. _I am a bird after all, and birds cannot speak as humans do. Right now, I am tapping into your magic and relaying my thoughts to you, but you are the one who is doing the translating. _

Knowing that Ginny was listening in to their conversation, he glanced over at her as he pondered what to ask next. _Can you speak to anyone like this? _

Fawkes shook his head once in a very human-like manner. _Not very easily. It takes a great deal of focused mind to understand what a phoenix is saying. A normal wizard would only sense a feeling or idea. You though, I have always felt a strong connection to. Friend Dumbledore always did have a large amount of respect and admiration for you. I suspect that your connection with Ginny is helping with our own._

Ginny smiled and looked down at the bird, who had settled on the ground in front of the two of them. _Not that we mind you being here Fawkes, but why are you? No one's seen you since Dumbledore's funeral. _

Fawkes sang a short and melodic tune out loud before answering. _The death of our good friend was a sad day indeed. I could not stay at the castle after he was gone, as much as I called it home. I took to traveling around the world again, seeing what had changed since I met Dumbledore. It was you Harry, that called me back._

_Me?_ Harry asked, puzzled. _I don't remember calling for you._

_It wasn't intentional, to be sure. I was a flight of many days away when I felt your power surge wildly Harry. Even across all that distance, I was sure it was you. There has been only one other human that I have known who has ever shown that much magical potential._

Harry could tell by the way the bird was speaking that the other person could have been none other than his old Headmaster.

_I decided to come back and see you, Harry, but when I returned to this land I realized that you were no longer here nor anywhere else that I have traveled to. This confused me until you one day appeared at the farm._

Ginny frowned a little. _You found him out there? Why couldn't you have let me known?_

Fawkes emitted a short trill of notes that sounded almost like light laughter. _It was for the best, Ginny. Your Harry was lost, trapped deep inside himself. He needed to find himself first, or at least begin to do so. I dare say you were doing well at it, Harry. That kind of ancient magic is not easy to break through._

Harry's mouth hung open for a bit. _So that bit of amnesia wasn't an accident? Someone spelled me?_ He was stunned, to say the least. Though he knew there were many branches of magic that he didn't know anything about, a spell that could cause a person's memories to become locked away inside themselves was something that he thought he would have heard about before.

The bird's head bobbed up and down once. _I have not seen or felt such magic for many hundreds of years. I know you have many questions Harry, but alas, I do not have any answers, only as many questions as you do. _

Harry sighed and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, wondering how it was that answer answer he got brought so many more questions up. He pondered over this latest dilemma for a few moments before turning his his attention back to his girlfriend and Fawkes, who had started talking about where the bird had been on his travels.

_Where are you heading off to next then Fawkes?_

The bird stretched out its wings before answering. _For the moment, I believe that I am done with long distance traveling. Two years away from home is a long time. I think for the time being I will stay close, especially since I have a new pair of close friends._

Harry and Ginny smiled warmly. _Well, don't feel like you have to stay close all the time, _Harry said. _If I could travel the world like that, I would._

Fawkes 'laughed' again and pushed off with his legs to get into the air. _Do not worry Harry. I'll be around if I am needed. All you have to do is call for me. In the meantime, I sense that quite a few people are arriving for your celebration. I shall see you both soon._

The couple watched the phoenix fly off above the trees and then looked at each other for a long moment before checking their watches and getting up. Needless to say, their conversation on the way back to the Burrow was very interesting.

* * *

><p>The late lunch birthday party that Mrs. Weasley had put together was a quieter affair than Harry had expected. Most of the family was there, only Percy was missing since he was travelling aboard for the Ministry. In fact, the only ones there who weren't family were Professor McGonagall and Neville. Harry was surprised at seeing the Headmistress there, but quickly realized that his former teacher must have wanted to see who he was doing for herself. Both Ginny and Bill had told him in the past few days how much McGonagall had been worried about him while he was gone.<p>

Neville was looking extremely excited as they all sat down to eat, and Harry soon learned why; his friend had been offered an apprenticeship with Professor Sprout.

"I've decided to go for a mastery in Herbology, and when Professor McGonagall heard about it she offered to continue the arrangement we had last year at school. I'll be taking over a few of Professor Sprout's classes so she'll have more time to be the Deputy Headmistress, and I'll be able to study too."

Harry grinned at his friend's news and congratulated him. He was surprised that he had never realized that their short and plump teacher was a Herbology Master; as with every other subject, a Mastery was hard to achieve. Not many witches and wizards decided to spend five or more years with more studies.

"That's great Neville, I know that you'll be amazing at it."

"I'm sure of it," Professor McGonagall said from her spot a few seats away. "The students that had you all as teachers scored very well on their end of the years tests, more than the average. I would be remiss if I didn't offer certain positions to people at this table, as they become available of course."

The pointed looks that she gave Harry, Ron and Hermione were eerily similar to the ones they had all received over the course of their years at Hogwarts, but the trio quickly realized what their former teacher was saying.

Ron quickly gulped and shook his head softly, aware that their conversation had attracted the attention of most of the family. "Thanks, but no thanks Professor. I wouldn't be any good at it without Harry there as well, and I don't want to step onto Bill's turf. I'm happy enough running the joke shop and making things a little bit more interesting for everyone at the castle."

Nearly everyone at the table laughed at his joke, only his mother and McGonagall giving him a look. Even so, Harry could have sworn that he saw the tiniest hint of a smile starting on the teacher's lips.

"Same here, Professor," Harry said. "I think I'll leave the teaching to Bill, though I did have fun with the firsties this year. I do want to work at joining the Aurors; even with most of Tommy Boy's cronies either put away or dead, I want to help make a difference."

Most of the table applauded his decision, but Harry could tell that Molly, Ginny, and his newly-found godmother Evie all had a bit of apprehension showing on their faces. He didn't blame them one bit for it, knowing that the women were just worried about his safety and well-being. He and Ginny had had a few conversations about his career decision already and while he knew that she supported him wholeheartedly, she was also going to worry about him whenever he wasn't with her.

McGonagall nodded. "I suspected as much Harry. Just know that my offer to teach at Hogwarts still stands if you ever decide to change your mind." Her gaze turned a bit to look at Hermione, who had still to answer. "Miss Granger, Professor Vector recently made it known to me that she would like to retire in the next few years, though she'd be willing to wait for the right replacement to come along."

Hermione's eyes were wide as she considered what she was being told. "I… wouldn't I need a Master in Arithmancy to teach it?"

"Not necessarily, though it doesn't hurt. Your grades were excellent in the subject, and after seeing the work you did with Muggle Studies this past year I know that you would make an excellent professor. Like I said, you don't have to decide right away; the offer remains open if you wish to take it. You could, if you wanted, start an apprenticeship in the subject while continuing to work at the Ministry."

Ron wrapped an arm around his fiance, showing his support without actually needing to say it. Hermione looked around at everyone else for their reactions, and was a bit surprised to see that they all had smiles on their faces. "I'll definitely consider it, Professor. It would be an honor."

McGonagall actually did smile a bit. "That's all I ask, Hermione. Though, I would put a hold on your thinking until after the wedding and your honeymoon. Come back to me with a clear head in the fall and we can discuss it further."

Hermione nodded her agreement, and the main topic of conversation at the table took a turn towards the upcoming nuptials. Now that everything was getting back to normal, she and Ron had picked August 21st for the new wedding date. Knowing this, Harry and Ginny had been able to plan the last few weeks of summer they had before they started their chosen careers.

Because of the deal they had made with Professor McGonagall and Minister Kingsley the previous summer, the two had already been awarded NEWTs in Charms, Defense, Transfiguration, and Potions. Even though Harry already knew he would be accepted into Auror training, he had arranged to take the Herbology NEWT test to have a complete set of five, which was the requirement. Discovering that Ginny was planning to take the test as well solidified his decision. They had been scheduled to take the exam on August 9th; meaning that they had just eight days to study and cram.

Harry smiled as he ate his cake and half-listened to the wedding talk. His vacation with Ginny and Genevieve was set to begin the day after their NEWT test and last a week before they needed to be home to help with the final preparations for the wedding. Mrs. Weasley had originally huffed at the timing of their trip, but she couldn't deny the fact that the trio needed the time to relax and grow closer.

He had pleaded with the family to not spend a lot of money on gifts for him, but that didn't stop anyone really. Most of his presents were of the smaller variety like the tin of fudge from Mrs. Weasley and the box of Honeydukes chocolate from Ron, though his godmother seemed to want to make up for all the birthdays she had missed by getting him a rather expensive dragonhide vest. Bill and Charlie immediately let him know how valuable the piece of clothing was with its ability to deflect or absorb many low-powered spells and curses.

It was a while later after most everyone had left that Harry received yet another surprise from Genevieve. Ginny had been pressed into service by her mother to help clear everything away, and it was only godson and godmother who were left outside talking on a bench.

"So Harry, how long have you been carrying around that ring?"

Harry felt his heart miss a beat as he turned to look at her. Evie had a grin on her face, one that was eerily reminiscent of Sirius when he had joked around with Harry. He instinctually ran his fingers across the chain of the watch in his pocket. "How did you know?"

Genevieve laughed a little at the reaction. "James was acting the same way you are when I caught him showing Sirius the engagement ring he had bought for Lily. It was a little bit of guesswork on my part, but the kicker is the way that your hand moves toward your pocket whenever you look at her. I'm sure the upcoming wedding has been putting ideas in your head too."

Harry scowled a bit. "I'm _that_ easy to read?"

Trying to hold back more laughter and failing, she put a hand on his arm and squeezed gently. "Don't worry, Ginny has no idea you've had it for a while. I'm just good at reading body language. I also happened to notice a rather powerful notice-me-not charm on your father's watch when I first met Ginny."

"Oh, well I'm sure that was a giant clue…" he muttered quietly as he brought the ring out of his pocket and temporarily disabled the charms he had put on it. A quick look around them told him that no one else was nearby before he returned his gaze to his godmother.

Genevieve was smiling softly as she looked at the ring. "Your mother's…"

Harry nodded. "I hope Ginny likes it. I saw it in the Family Vault last summer and something told me to just take it with."

"You've had it with you for a year?" Evie looked flabbergasted. "What's the hold up?"

"I don't know," he answered with a shrug. "I guess it just never felt like the right time. I want it to be perfect, you know?"

Evie wrapped an arm around him in a side-hug. "It'll happen," she said quietly, "and when it does, Ginny will remember it being perfect because _you_ asked her."

Harry had an obvious look of doubt on his face as he continued to look down at the ring. Seeing this, Evie squeezed him in their hug again. "We'll work on it, Harry. There are a lot of beautiful places in France, if you can wait that long," she said, ending with a little tease.

A small grin crossed Harry's face. "I think I can wait that long…"

* * *

><p>Dolores Umbridge lowered her hand, still reveling in the familiar course of energy she was feeling at finally being reunited with her own wand and not having to use one of the spares that Travers had had. Taking two steps forward she kicked the arm of the freshly dead body in front of her, just to make sure. She was quite impressed with her work; a mild cutting curse could have devastating effects at close range, especially to the neck.<p>

The man had been a fool to turn his back on her.

"Thank you for the help…" she said in a quiet, sickeningly sweet voice before turning on her heel and disapparating.

* * *

><p><em>Apologies for the long disappearance - work snuck up on me and beaned me over the head something fierce. I'm back to writing now! Please reviewfavorite and follow if it floats your boat. Special thanks to my lovely Betas!_

_-Midnight_


	8. Spirits

_Author's Note: The Potter universe and all its characters, places, names, etc. are not my creation, all credit belongs to JKR. I'm only providing my own storyline and using her sandbox to play in._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 08 - Spirits**

_"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."_

- Oscar Wilde

* * *

><p>Ronald Weasley was sure that his eyes were going to either get severely crossed or just stop working and fall out of their sockets. It was late evening on August 11th, Ginny's birthday, but the usual family celebration hadn't happened that day, since both Ginny and Harry had taken off on their vacation the previous day. At his mother's insistence both he and Hermione had apparated over to the Burrow after their workday, only to find that her mother was there as well. The young couple gave each other a look before putting on smiles and marching bravely into the kitchen; they both knew that they were in for a long evening filled with wedding plans and details.<p>

While the three women held up a long conversation about where things would be and how it would all be arranged, Ron was charged with looking over the invited guest list and putting together the seating chart for dinner, a task that he thought himself thoroughly unsuited for. He knew that the idea behind the seating chart was to make sure that everyone enjoyed themselves at the reception by sitting with people that they knew or would have interesting conversations with, but aside from a few distant relatives of his that he knew should never sit together, he was at a loss as to how to place everyone.

Ron sighed to himself. He didn't know anything about flowers and colors, or anything else that people seemed to go crazy over at weddings. All he knew was that he loved Hermione and wanted to be married to her as soon as possible. For himself, he would have been happy enough going to the Ministry building and having someone perform a quick ceremony, but a true wedding with all the bells and whistles was not something that he would deny his love, especially with the very small amount of family she did have. He also didn't want to find out what kind of wrath his mother would bring if the two of them just 'eloped'.

The sound of the back door opening and many footsteps broke Ron out of his thoughts, and he was surprised to see Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, Angelina and Fleur crowding into the kitchen, all wearing grins. Noticing that both his and Hermione's mother were no longer sitting there with them, Ron looked over at his fiance with a bit of puzzlement on his face. She gave him almost the same exact look back before turning to the group.

"What are you all doing here?"

"Saving you two from a night of details and boredom," Charlie said with a wink. "We've been waiting for the Mums to go out and look at the yard so we could come in and grab you. Come on then, we don't have much time before they're back. Ron, you're coming with us while the girls go do their own thing."

Hermione looked as if she wanted to protest for a moment, before Angelina crossed over to her and started pulling at her arm. "But aren't Harry and Ginny planning something for when they get back? You know, as the best man and maid of honor?"

Fleur giggled. "Oui, they are, but while they are on their leetle vacation we decided to 'ave our own get-togethers. Come, come. You two are only going to get married the one time, you should enjoy eet."

Looking over at each other, the engaged couple shared a moment of speaking without words before shrugged slightly and nodding.

"Alright then," Hermione said with a sly smile as she followed the group out the door. "We'll go along with whatever you have planned, but one of you is going to have to take the blame with our mothers."

* * *

><p>Hermione found herself being taken in a side-along apparition by Fleur, though it probably wasn't necessary as she had been to her almost sister-in-law's small home in Hogsmeade a few times before. Once inside the three women got comfortable in the cozy living room and Fleur started uncorking a bottle of French wine that had been chilling in a small bucket of ice. Angelina was already holding out her glass in anticipation as she look over at Hermione.<p>

"What's got you all tense there, Hermione? You can't be missing Ron already..."

Hermione smiled a little and shook her head. "No, I guess all the wedding planning and nerves are just settling in too much."

Fleur looked up from the bottle with a small frown. "I could be wrong, but I theenk zat there is more there than you are saying..."

Sighing, Hermione fell backwards a little into the comfort of the couch and closed her eyes for a moment to think, grumbling a little to herself about Fleur's uncanny way of knowing when someone was trying to get around the truth. It _was_ true though, there was a lot more on her mind than she was letting on, not the least of which was who she was sitting with. Fleur was a blue-eyed blonde beauty, and Angelina was gorgeous no matter how you looked at her.

Hermione knew that she was nowhere near their level, and yet here they were accepting her like a sister. She was also acutely aware that she was marrying into a very close family, and the little voice at the back of her mind wasn't having much luck convincing her that she was already very much a part of Ron's family. Her hesitation finally relented and and between some much needed sips of wine, she managed to relay her fears to the two slightly older girls.

Angelina and Fleur exchanged worried looks with each other as their friend sister finished speaking and relaxed a little, staring down into her glass.

"Hermione, you worry yourself too much," Fleur said quietly, reaching a hand over and placing it on the other girl's. "You do not see zat you are _already_ loved and accepted by ze entire family. Mon dieu, Maman Weasley waz thinking of you like a daughter before she 'ad even met us two," she said, motioning to herself and Angelina.

Angelina nodded her agreement. "You don't have anything to worry about there, honestly. And the other thing? I know that sharing a dorm with Lavender and Parvati for all those years may have given you a certain sense of a girl should care about, but we aren't them Hermione. What we see in you is a true and honest girl who loves her friends and family, and is a genius to boot."

It took a few moments for Hermione to pick her head up and let a small smile drop across her mouth. "Sorry. You two went through the trouble of planning a fun evening and here I go being all moody."

Fleur wrapper an arm around her for a light hug while Angelina smiled and refilled Hermione's glass to the top. "Don't worry about," the dark-skinned beauty said warmly. "That's what sisters are for. Now, drink up. We have a lot of talking to do and I think Fleur has quite a few more bottles that we can go through."

The laughter coming from her two 'sisters' was too infectious to stave off, and Hermione finally joined with them and let loose, letting herself enjoy the night which was extremely fun and at times, pretty raucous.

* * *

><p>Ron had a little bit shorter of a trip to get to where his brother had planned, and when he looked around after his side-along apparition he smiled a bit. "Well, <em>finally<em> I get invited up here…"

The five Weasley brothers were standing on the roof of the rather large workshop that sat on the drive leading up to the Burrow, on the side closest to the woods so they couldn't be seen from the house. Bill and Charlie frowned as they looked at their youngest brother.

"What, you know about us coming up here?"

George and Percy were wearing amused looks as Ron answered for the three of them. "It wasn't exactly hard to figure out guys. You slipped up a few times where we could hear you laughing. Dad had you figured out from the beginning, too."

Bill shook his head. "And here we were congratulating ourselves for being so clever. What about Mum?"

"If she knew anything about it, she never said so," George said as he conjured a flat pillow to sit down on. "Better late than never, though, about bringing us lowly beings to your hideaway."

Charlie nudged him with his elbow as he too sat down and opened the case of Butterbeer that had been brought along for the occasion. Once everyone had gotten comfortable, Ron looked over at Bill.

"So, what's this all about?"

Bill shrugged as he opened his bottle. "Fleur wanted to have a girls evening with Hermione, and since everyone else was free I thought we'd do our own thing. Charlie and I never needed a particular reason to come up here and talk, and it was about time we added you lot."

Charlie nodded in agreement. "Bill and I have had many a conversation up here. Our only rule is that whatever is said up here stays between us," he said seriously.

Seeing the other three nod, Bill relaxed a little more and looked up at the darkening sky for a moment before focusing in on Ron.

"So, ickle Ronnie, how are you feeling about the upcoming big day?"

The youngest Weasley scowled a bit, as much about the nickname as the the topic, and took a pull of his drink before answering. "At this point, I just want it all over and behind us. Isn't getting married supposed to be like a happy and fulfilling experience? All I've been doing for weeks is making decisions on what type of flowers and colors we should use, and who not to sit at the table with Uncle Wulgrig."

All four brothers winced sympathetically at the mention of their uncle who'd had an unfortunate accident involving a misfired spell and some Stinksap. Bill nodded knowingly.

"Watching you and Hermione now brings back lots of memories from two years ago. If you can believe it, I think Mum's loosened up a bit with you two compared to me and Fleur."

Ron stared at his oldest brother for a long moment, wondering if his leg was being pulled. "Yes well, loosened up or not, I'm just ready for it all to be over so Hermione and I can get away for that week."

George grinned, "A whole week eh? So where are you taking her?"

"It was Harry's idea actually. He said he was still feeling guilty for being the reason we had to postpone before, so he's giving Hermione and I the keys to his family's beach house in France."

Percy grinned. "You mean where he and Ginny are at the moment? Lucky lucky. I just got back from a conference in Paris and it's perfect weather down there right now."

"I'm hoping for some good relaxing time on the beach," Ron said, "but I'm sure Hermione will want to drag me to a bunch of museums and such."

Bill chuckled a bit. "Trust me Ron, sometimes it's just easier to say 'Yes, Dear' and go along with whatever the missus wants."

Ron nodded and looked off into the woods, slowing blowing out a deep breath. After about a minute he looked back to the others, all of whom had either worried or quizzical looks on their faces. He decided to linger over a sip of his butterbeer before answering their unasked questions.

"It's kind of surreal, you know? I thought that I would get married when I was much older, but here we are. Hermione is going to be my _wife_. Just the reality of that is pretty unnerving. We're going to be together forever and I need to take care of her no matter what happens."

After a few quiet moments, it looked like Bill was about to speak up when George beat him to it.

"Do you love her Ron?"

The youngest Weasley brother looked queerly at him. "What… of course I do George."

"Then what are you worried about? You know that she's the one for you, and you've already shown that you would do anything for her, multiple times. Don't doubt yourself Ron, you'll do just fine."

Four pairs of eyes found themselves looking intently at George, who smirked a little and tilted his bottle back to finish it.

Charlie was the one to ask the question on everyone's minds. "That was pretty deep George. How'd you know what to say?"

"I've had a lot of time to think lately," George answered smoothly. "I've also had both Mum and Angelina talking in my ear as I work through everything on my mind, so maybe what they're saying to me is actually sticking."

Ron landed a soft and playful punch on George's arm. "Well, whatever the case is, thanks."

Bill smiled as he watched the interplay between his siblings. "You know, Mum is going to be on your case a lot more now Charlie…" he said, looking over at him.

"Why's that Bill?"

Ron smirked. "Because Bill's already married and I'm like two steps away from the altar. George and Angelina are a serious couple, so are Harry and Ginny and even Percy has a girlfriend. My bet's on Mum making some sort of comment about it at the reception, something about the younger ones beating you out."

The amount of laughter that was caused by the look on Charlie's face had Bill quietly congratulating himself for having the forethought to cast a silencing charm around the five of them from the get-go.

* * *

><p>The combination of the rhythm of waves hitting the shoreline and the warm blanket of of sunlight had pulled Harry into a very peaceful mood as he relaxed, laying back on a beach chair he had pulled out from under the porch of the Potter beach house. It was the fourth day of his and Ginny's vacation, the day after her birthday, and it had been a very quiet and relaxing time so far.<p>

The young couple were happy with their time alone with each other; it had been a long two weeks of studying for their makeup NEWT test, and both were also glad to be out from under the amount of people who were visiting the Burrow daily to get ready for Ron and Hermione's wedding. Even though they had invited Harry's godmother, Evie, she had insisted the two have a few days just to themselves before she joined them, at least until after Ginny's birthday. Harry had even convinced Kreacher to not follow them all the way to France. The house elf wasn't entirely pleased but acquiesced, knowing that his master was a decent chef and that they wouldn't go hungry.

The quiet sounds of nature around him were punctuated every so often by a splash of water as Ginny swam around and dove into the larger of the waves. A small smile crossed Harry's mouth as he felt her having fun out there. He had been surprised to learn on their first day at the beach house that Ginny had never been to a real beach before, considering that swimming was one of her favorite things to do.

Watching Ginny when she swam was one of Harry's favorite things to do to, especially when she was wearing an outfit like she was currently; a two-piece emerald green bikini that accentuated her curves very nicely. Ginny had seen it while they were strolling through the nearby Muggle seaside town after dinner their second night and purchased it right away, mentioning that it matched the color of Harry's eyes almost perfectly.

He was tempted to open his eyes to catch a glimpse of her out there in the surf but stopped himself when he felt her presence coming nearer, wondering if he could convince her that he had fallen asleep in his chair. A few moments later, he knew that he had failed when he heard a little snort and felt her sitting down right in his lap. Harry grinned and opened his eyes to look up at her.

"Have a good swim?"

Ginny giggled bit and leaned over to kiss him on the lips, leaving drops of water across his chest. "Very good. I'm sure you enjoyed the view."

Harry put on a mask of innocence. "I'm not quite sure what you mean love, I dozed off pretty much right away…"

A wet slap to his arm stopped him from going on. Ginny giggled again as she reached back to untie the band that was holding her hair back in a ponytail, letting her long, red hair spill out. "Git. Don't think that I don't know when you're ogling me in this bikini."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that you know that it's not _just_ when you're wearing that…"

That comment earned him another playful slap before Ginny leaned in to kiss him again, this time on the nose. "I'll take the compliment dear. It's nice to know that you can keep your head about you and not stutter like Ron does when Fleur is around."

Harry laughed. "I'm pretty sure that Fleur turns her Veela charm up on purpose when she's around him, just because it's amusing."

Ginny looked at him in surprise, then shook her head as an amused look came across her face. "I wonder why I never noticed that… Good on her though, it is pretty funny." She stood then and turned back to offer a hand to help Harry up. "Come on, let's get inside and cleaned off before it gets too hot out here. Genevieve should be here any time now…"

Taking her hand, Harry got up as well and wrapped the towel he had draped over the seat around her shoulders. "Only way to get all this sand off is with a shower," he said thoughtfully. "Say, did you want some help getting all cleaned up milady?"

Ginny burst into another fit of giggles but gave him a look that sent good chills down his spine. "Yes love, I'd appreciate that very much…"

* * *

><p>Evie arrived as promised just after three in the afternoon, and the three enjoyed a quiet afternoon that at times wasn't so quiet as she regaled them with stories about Harry's parents and some of the things that the Marauders had gotten up to at school. After a few hours the trio moved into the kitchen area to continue their conversations while Harry started a simple dinner of pasta with fresh tomato sauce and a salad. He had to refuse their offers to help a few times before both Ginny and Evie realized that cooking for them was something that he was enjoying, and that he <em>wanted<em> to do it for them.

Quite a few of the stories that Evie told them were about how Lily and James had finally gotten together in their seventh year, and how their romance had taken off after school had finished. When she started recalling how James had finally proposed, Harry gulped inaudibly and looked over at his godmother, who was making covert, yet pointed looks at Ginny's empty left hand. Harry shook his head a bit, realizing that Evie could be just as insistent about things as Sirius had been.

Luckily, Evie didn't make any more attempts to get her point across physically or verbally, but Harry caught her giving him meaningful looks all throughout their dinner. Harry became acutely aware that if he didn't ask Ginny the question, and soon, he would be in for yet another long discussion about what was holding him back. And to be honest, he really didn't know what it _was_ that was holding him back from just asking Ginny the question. There was no looming worry that something bad was going to happen, no risk that would have to be taken soon. There was just him and Ginny and he knew in his heart that before they'd be separated each day for their different careers, he wanted the world to know that Ginny was _his_.

When the three finished with their dinner, Evie insisted on taking care of the dirty dishes and that the young couple should go out and watch the sunset from the deck. Ginny mentioned that they had already done so on their first night there, but Harry took the cue and smiled over at her.

"Doesn't mean that we can't again Gin'. Come on, let's get some fresh air."

Ginny gave him a thoughtful look, then shrugged a bit and nodded. "Alright then."

Harry took her hand in his and led her out the sliding glass door, looking back for a moment at his godmother with a wink. Once outside, Ginny stepped up to the wooden railing and looked out of the ocean view where the last little bit of the sun was making it's way under the horizon. Harry took a moment to breathe out slowly and clear his mind of his mile-a-minute thoughts; it wouldn't do to give the moment away before it happened. He stepped in behind Ginny at the railing, wrapping his arms around her.

She leaned back into him and sighed happily. "You know, we've seen sunsets a bunch of different places, at home, from the Astronomy tower at Hogwarts. What makes it so much more beautiful here?"

Harry took a moment to think on that. "I don't know, but you're right. Maybe it's because out here it feels like we don't have to share it with a lot of other people?" Both her question and his answer were quiet, as if they didn't want to disturb the moment.

They both stood there quietly and watched as the sky continued to turn into darker shades. Harry was waiting for the right moment, and got it after a few minutes when Ginny sighed again and he could tell she had closed her eyes briefly. He leaned forward to whisper into her ear.

"Keep your eyes closed for a little bit."

He could feel her fidget in his arm, but her eyes stayed closed. "Why?"

_Trust me…_

There was the slightest pause and then Ginny answered him.

_With my life, Harry._

Smiling, Harry reached his right hand into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out the ring box that he had bought the week before. He carefully balanced it on the railing in front of them and then guided her hands to it with his. Ginny gasped a little as she first felt the soft velvet.

_Okay, open them…_

Ginny opened her eyes slowly, her breath becoming slow and shallow as her mind started to comprehend what was going on. She looked down and her breath hitched as she saw the small box. Almost without thinking, she opened it slowly and saw the most beautiful diamond ring she had ever seen. She bit her lower lip and looked over her shoulder into those emerald eyes that she loved.

"Harry?"

Harry smiled at her and nodded. "Ginny Weasley, you are my soulmate, with or without the special bond we share. Will you marry me?"

Ginny's eyes grew wide as she heard the words that she had been waiting to hear from him for the longest time. Her eyes began to mist over and she nodded so many times that she lost count. Not able to contain her emotions any longer, she turned around and buried her face into his chest, crying happily. Harry's grin grew wider as he heard the multiple "Yes's" coming from her. A few moments later he found himself being pulled into a very passionate and fiery kiss.

It took a few moments for the two to separate from each other, but both were wearing large smiles. Ginny looked down the ring in her hands and admired its beauty. "Harry… this is so gorgeous… I can't believe,"

Harry put a finger to her lips, knowing that she was going to protest that he had spent too much money on the ring. "It's from my family vault," he said quietly, watching her play with it. "And even if I did buy it for you, it would be worth every Knut I have because you are my everything."

Ginny gasped quietly and looked up at him across the short distance. "This.. this was your mother's, wasn't it?"

Seeing him nod slowly, Ginny wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. "That means a lot to me Harry, you have no idea. That you would let me wear something so private and close to your family…"

Harry grinned. "You _are_ going to be family, not that we weren't really already. You said yes, remember? I'm pretty sure I heard a Yes."

Ginny giggled softly and leaned back away from him, placing the ring in his hand. "Would you put it on me?"

From just beyond the doorway, Genevieve watched her godson slide a very familiar ring onto Ginny's finger. Though there was a smile on her face, she had to wipe a few tears away so she could continue to see them. She had missed so much of Harry's life, so much that she should have been there for, and here finally was a monumental moment in his life that she had witnessed and nudged along.

"He's so much like you, Lily…" she whispered.

* * *

><p><em>Hopefully I did the proposal justice! Next time: Ron and Hermione get hitched, and the reception that follows. Please review, favorite and follow - every little bit helps in telling me that people actually read this stuff that's falling out of my head! Big thanks to my Beta readers for their assistance!<em>

_-Midnight_


	9. Secrets

_Author's Note: The Potter universe and all its characters, places, names, etc. are not my creation, all credit belongs to JKR. I'm only providing my own storyline and using her sandbox to play in._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 09 - Secrets**

"_We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created."_

- Nicholas Sparks, _The Notebook_

* * *

><p>Harry eased into his chair at the long table that had been set up for the wedding party and let out a relieved sigh. For someone who didn't know how to dance properly he had been spending quite a bit of time on the dance floor that evening. He rolled his ankles around and stretched out his legs while gazing around at the reception that was still going on strong. It seemed as if every woman present had wanted to take their turn dancing with him, including Molly Weasley, Professor McGonagall, and the new Mrs. Weasley; his sister in all but blood, Hermione. Harry smiled as he thought back to the ceremony that had taken place only a few hours before.<p>

* * *

><p>Ron let out another long sigh and checked his watch for what had to be the fiftieth time that day, before looking across the garden towards the back door of the Burrow. He, Harry and George were waiting to the side of the arched trellis that had been set up facing the rows of seats.<p>

George tried to hold in a laugh as Harry rolled his eyes. "Mate, we know that it should have started twenty minutes ago but you _have_ to relax. They'll be ready when they're ready."

Ron shot his best friend a look. "I know women take forever to get ready, but this is just ridiculous. This is _Hermione_ we're talking about, remember? When is she ever late to anything?"

"Yes, but you forget who else is in there - two mothers who have been fretting over all the details for ages," George said in a wise tone that reminded Harry of the way Dumbledore spoke sometimes.

"Just wait until it's your and Angelina's turn…" Ron answered with an edge to to his voice.

It was Harry's turn to sigh. "Seriously, Ron, settle down. I know you're a bit cranky because you haven't been able to see her in over a day now, but have pity on us poor sods. Your bride, Ginny, and Angelina would blame _us_ for your attitude."

Before he could go on, he heard a little giggle in his mind. _You can tell my brother to stop freaking out Harry, we're ready in here._

_Thank Merlin, I was about to have to smack some sense into him._

Seeing both Ron and Hermione's mothers heading towards their seats, Harry looked to his 'brothers' and nodded. "Time to go."

While Harry steered Ron into place in front of the trellis to wait for Hermione, George gave a nod to the older wizard who was the officiant before pointing his wand at a collection of musical instruments, which began levitating and playing music. The kitchen door of the Burrow opened then, and all the guest's heads turned to watch as the bridesmaids walked down the aisle. Hermione had selected dresses similar to hers for her attendants, though in a light purple hue to match the colors of the wedding.

Isla was the first one out of the door, wearing a big smile as she approached the boys. Angelina came behind her after a few dozen paces, and Ginny after her. Harry only had eyes for his girl at this point, tuning everyone else out just as Ron would most likely be doing in a few moment's time. Harry thought that she looked amazing, and the smile that she had for him when their eyes met caused his heart to skip a beat.

Once Ginny had found her place, the music changed and everyone that was seated stood and turned to see the bride. Harry couldn't help but feel a little emotional as he watched Hermione come down the aisle, escorted by her father. He, Ron and Hermione had been through a _lot_ together, and that was a severe understatement. He was very happy for his best friends, the first ones that he had ever had. As Hermione's father handed her over to Ron, Harry started to look around at the small crowd that had come for the celebration and tuned out the officiant's words.

He spotted the contingent of Hogwarts professors behind a sea of red headed people who were the extended Weasley family, most of which Harry hadn't really met except for very briefly two summers ago. Professor McGonagall seemed to have forgotten all about the usual stern look that she wore as she looked on, because she wore a bright smile. Next to her, Professor Flitwick had levitated his chair up a little so that he would be able to see, and at the back Hagrid was watching as well, dressed in a much nicer coat than usual.

Harry smiled as he saw his godmother with his godson on her lap. Genevieve had insisted on watching over Teddy for most of the day so that everyone could pay due attention to the wedding and their guests. Teddy had taken to Evie very quickly after they met earlier in the summer and was as comfortable with her as he was with Harry or any of the Weasleys, which wasn't all that surprising since he was a happy toddler overall. Harry wondered if that personality would stick around when Teddy grew older, and whether the boy would make many friends because of it.

He must have 'spaced out' for a long while, because all too soon he felt George elbowing him lightly. Harry realized that it was time for Hermione and Ron to exchange their vows, which meant that they needed the wedding rings that he was holding onto for them. Giving a quick grin to his best mate, he pulled the two rings out of his robe pocket and dropped them into the waiting hand.

The vows that his friends had written suited them well, he thought. Ron's were short but meaningful, while Hermione's took on the quality of a well thought out essay, just not nearly as long as one. Before he knew it, the officiant was announcing them as married and the gathered crowd was on their feet clapping. The Weasley brothers that weren't standing near the trellis with Harry started calling out for Ron to 'go on and kiss his bride already', and so Ron did. Molly Weasley didn't even glare at her sons for their comments, she was too busy crying and hugging Arthur and Hermione's parents.

* * *

><p>Harry grinned at Ron as he sat down in his own chair and quickly reached for a cold bottle of Butterbeer. "Worked up a thirst did you?"<p>

Ron groaned a little through the bottle and took a swig before answering. "You've been out there as much as I have, how are you not as knackered as I am?"

Harry chucked and looked over at the dance floor where both Ginny and Hermione were currently dancing with their fathers. "I've spent most of that time dancing with Ginny. We've gotten a lot better because we know what move the other is going to make before it happens. Less worry and more fun I guess."

Genevieve took a seat next to Harry just then and shook her head as she joined their conversation. "You were just as good dancing with me as you were with Ginny, Harry. It seems you're a natural on your feet as well as in the air. That's a good thing, really. Your father was pants at dancing. Barely made it through the first dance with your mother at their wedding."

Both Harry and Ron grinned at that revelation, and Harry filed that little nugget of information on his parents away in his mind. He had been hearing more and more about them from his godmother, and was relishing each new story.

"Teddy done for the night then?" he asked her.

Evie nodded. "Totally done in, the poor thing. He just wouldn't have anything to do with a nap this afternoon, not with all the excitement going on around here. I conjured a crib for him in the room Molly gave me for the weekend and settled him in a half hour ago or so."

Seeing the looking Harry was giving her, she smacked him playfully on the arm. "He will be perfectly fine with me for the night Harry. I'm not completely inept at taking care of children, and it'll be nice to do so since I missed it with you," she said with a smile. "It's not like you aren't just a few doors away. Besides, you and Ginny should take every opportunity to have a night alone, if you know what I mean."

Both Ron and Harry blushed red as they realized what Evie was inferring. The older witch laughed at their reaction and shook her head again. "Who would've thought that two grown boys would be embarrassed by that sort of talk…"

Ron rolled his eyes. "It's more that we're talking about my little _sister_ here…"

"We're talking about me over here?"

Ginny had a smile plastered onto her face as she, Hermione and Angelina all wandered over to the small group, each with a glass of wine in hand. Hermione unceremoniously flopped into the chair next to her new husband and laid her legs across his lap. Ginny giggled a bit at this and decided to sit right on Harry's lap. Angelina dragged a chair over to the group as Harry answered.

"It's more like Evie finding ways to embarrass us over here. Must be a godparent thing, Sirius was always trying to get me with something."

Genevieve winked at him. "It most certainly is a godparent thing, though it does seem like you are a rather fun person to pick on dear..."

The whole group laughed as they realized that she was right; Harry was indeed good for the occasional joke or jibe, especially since he didn't mind a good-natured ribbing. Ginny looked over at him with a warm smile as she felt his hand coming to rest on top of hers, the hidden engagement ring nestled in between. They had both agreed before returning from their trip that they would attempt to keep their news quiet until after the wedding so that everyone's focus could remain on the couple to be married, as it should be. It was harder than they thought it would be. Both of them were hard pressed not to include the proposal when recounting their trip to the family when they returned, since both wanted to shout it from the rooftops.

As the others continued talking in the group, Harry heard Ginny speak up in his mind.

_It's getting harder for me to keep it a secret..._

Harry sighed a little mentally and nodded. _Tell me about it. I want to let everyone know our good news, but I also don't want to take any of the spotlight off Hermione and your brother. _

Ginny leaned back against him a little more. _I don't want to either... damnit. Well, we've kept quiet about it for this long, what's another day or two?_

_I'm sure we'll be asking ourselves the same question tomorrow love, _he said around a chuckle.

As luck would have it, the couple didn't have to wait that much longer at all. As the evening wore on more and more guests had taken their leave of the bride and groom, until it was only the immediate families left. Molly, Arthur and Hermione's parents were at their own table with Professor McGonagall, while Bill, Fleur, Percy, Audrey, George, Charlie and and Isla had joined the others to create a rather large group that was still talking about the wonderful day they had all had.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm looking forward to another few good days like this, especially since we won't have a mountain of details to worry about," Ron said, motioning to himself and Hermione, who still had her feet up.

Bill snickered as he looked around. "Well, Charlie's no help to us there…"

He managed to move away in time from Charlie's swing and laughed. "I suppose it's up to the rest of you.

Percy and Audrey wore the biggest blushes of them all at that statement. Even though the pair had been together for less than a year, they seemed to be a good match for each other, having similar quiet and shy personalities. Angelina and George had similar looks on their faces, smiling at each other like they found the idea of getting married to each other amusing.

Harry and Ginny traded glances and nodded to each other before looking back to everyone else.

"Well, we were going to wait a little bit longer to tell everyone, so that we wouldn't be taking any attention away from these two..."

Ginny was in the middle of pointing between Ron and Hermione when Fleur squealed happily. "Really?!"

Seeing everyone else looking expectantly at her, Ginny just help up her left hand and let the charm hiding the ring fall away.

At the other end of the dance floor, it sounded as if a small explosion had gone off. Five heads turned at the same time towards the larger group, then made their way over. Molly was the first one to reach the raucous group, many of whom seemed to be part of a large group hug.

"What's going on?" she asked with a worried tone. "Is everyone alright?"

Hermione grinned and held Ginny's arm up above everyone else. "More than alright, actually."

It took Molly a few moments to see the engagement ring on her daughter's hand, and then she too was screaming in happiness. Everyone got out of the way as she grabbed Ginny and Harry into a big bear hug. By the time the two were able to get free from her grasp, Molly's cheeks were covered with happy tears, and Arthur had wrapped his arm around her as he beamed at everyone.

"So, when did this happen?"

Ginny blushed a little. "On our vacation in France…"

"I knew it!" Angelina cried out. She grinned and nudged George's arm, holding out her hand expectantly. "Pay up George."

Harry just shook his head, realizing that the two had probably had a bet going between them for a while now as to when he would propose

Molly looked as if she was going to say something about that, but it was Professor McGonagall who spoke first.

"I suppose you kept this news to yourselves all this time then so that it wouldn't overshadow this wedding?"

The two nodded, smiling as they realized that their former teacher had asked the question to save them from Molly being upset at being kept in the dark about something so important. "Yeah," Harry said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "They deserved all our attention the past few days."

It was Hermione's turn to hug both of her friends. "You really didn't have to do that, but thank you guys… "

Harry smiled at her and Ron before turning back to look at his 'Mum'. "I know it's just hours after this one, so don't feel like you have to dive right into planning ours, Mum."

Everyone including Molly had a good laugh at that. "Well dears, maybe not right away but we _will_ be talking about what you would like to do sooner than later."

There was another round of laughter as everyone else saw the winces on Harry and Ginny's faces.

* * *

><p>Later that evening as everyone else in the Burrow was sleeping off the wedding and engagement excitement, one person was still awake, waiting for their contact to send them a message. They held a small black sphere in their hands as they sat on the bed, and were triple-checking the privacy charms they had put up on the door and windows.<p>

It wouldn't do to be overheard.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the sphere started glowing red. Tapping their wand to the object, they muttered a phrase in a language that was definitely not English. The surface of the orb changed and showed a figure dressed in a white suit.

"Agent Beatrix. Good to see you again. Anything to report?"

"Nothing much as of yet, sir; it hasn't been all that long since I've returned to England. I believe the cover story I've given about where I've been has been accepted by everyone."

"Good, good. Glad to hear it. What of the possible new recruit?"

There was a slight pause before the answer was given. "I believe Harry is a prime candidate for approach. I have seen what he can do up close, and it does include everything that was reported about him."

The other person held up a hand. "You know that we don't rush into anything Beatrix. We will continue to watch young Harry and make sure that it would be in both our and his best interests. Are you sure that you aren't too _close_ to the subject?"

Beatrix bit her lower lip. "I've remained as neutral as I could given who his is to me. I do stand by what I said."

"Very well. Continue normally per your mission parameters. Report anything unusual as soon as you can. Under no circumstances are you to make the approach, yet. Understood?"

Genevieve nodded. "Understood sir."

The sphere winked out without anything further, and went black.

* * *

><p><em>Curiouser and curiouser… what is going on with Harry's godmother? You'll find out soon, but of course - not too soon. Thanks for reading!<em>

_-Midnight_


	10. A Start

_Author's Note: The Potter universe and all its characters, places, names, etc. are not my creation, all credit belongs to JKR. I'm only providing my own storyline and using her sandbox to play in._

_Apologies in advance for any spelling and grammar mistakes - I am currently beta-less and it's kinda difficult to spot your own mistakes. (If you think you'd like to help make sense of what I'm trying to write a story about, PM me and we'll talk.)_

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 10 - A Start**

"_I like to reinvent myself — it's part of my job." _

- Karl Lagerfeld

* * *

><p>Summer ended rather quickly, as it usually tends to do. For close to two decades, the yearly arrival of September 1st had caused all sorts of excitement and commotion at the Burrow as another year at Hogwarts began, but this year there were no packed trunks being carried down the stairs, no last minute rushes to make sure everyone had what they needed. This year there were no Weasleys (or Potters) headed off to school, something that was almost overlooked in all the different things that were happening within the family.<p>

For Harry and Ginny, it was time of many changes as they got ready to fall into the normalcy of a life with their chosen careers and with each other. Formal, full-time practices for the Holyhead Harpies had begun in the last week of August, ahead of the start of the regular season in October. The couple had had many discussions about the long distances between London, the Burrow and Holyhead, which was on the west coast of the country, and the problems that came with a long commute.

Even magical means of transportation had their limits and problems, the biggest being the amount of energy the traveler needed. Both Harry and Ginny were sure to be exhausted some days because of the nature of their jobs, and apparating back and forth or powering a Portkey every day wasn't going to be a reliable option. Even taking the Floor Network when one was extremely tired was a bad idea.

Seeing no other good options, both Harry and Ginny spent a weekend in the town of Holyhead scouting around for a small places that she could rent. They were able to find and secure a good deal at a boarding house not far from the stadium, one that was run by a Squib landlady and came highly recommended by some of Ginny's new teammates. Even though the two weren't looking forward to the prospect of spending some nights alone without each other, they knew that it was better to plan for the eventuality.

'Mum' Weasley wasn't very happy about the plan either, more for the fact that the last two of her children seemed to be moving out, but she too couldn't find fault with their plan. It was plain for her to see on the couple's faces that while neither one was entirely happy with the situation, neither one was going to stop the other from pursuing their dreams. The two agreed that they were not ready to move completely out of the Burrow just yet; they would still spend the weekend and as many weeknights as possible at home with the family, especially because of Teddy.

Molly and the other members of the family were of course happy to watch over Teddy whenever it was needed, but Harry felt a particular responsibility to spend as much time as he could raising the boy. Ginny felt the same pull; she of course had wanted to be involved before Harry had proposed to her, but now that it was all going to be official she was seeing herself more and more as a mother figure to Teddy. She hadn't ever expected to he thrust into such a position so early in her life, and she certainly hadn't planned for it so soon, but she wouldn't change what she was feeling now and getting out of the experience for anything.

* * *

><p>With Ginny training and attending practice daily, Harry lasted all of one day before deciding to report in to the Ministry and Kingsley. As he was already a Junior Auror in rank, the MInister had told him that he could take his time in reporting in and not to worry about the date that all other prospective recruits had to show up on. The Minister had been adamant that Harry should take all the time that he needed to after the stresses of the past year. Harry felt ready. Even though his main reason for joining the Aurors, the problem of Voldemort and his Death Eaters, was taken care of, he knew that there was more good that he could do for Wizarding Britain.<p>

Harry was in a pretty good mood as he was waved into the Minister's office. As usual, Kingsley's desk was covered in paperwork, some of which looked like they could have been there for weeks. Kingsley looked up at him with a smile and made a hand motion towards one of the two empty chairs in front of the desk. "Ah, Harry. I was wondering how long it would be after the Harpies started practicing that I'd see you here."

Harry looked surprised for a moment, then smirked a bit. "Am I that easy to read sir?"

The other man laughed jovially. "It's quite apparent to everyone how you and Ginny are, Harry. I don't fault you for it though, you've found a great partner in her. By the way, congratulations on your engagement. Do you have a date yet?"

Shaking his head, Harry thought for a moment before answering, wondering whether the Minister himself was already angling for an invitation to the wedding. "It only happened a few weeks ago sir, we haven't done much in the way of planning just yet. I'll let you know?"

Kingsley nodded. "Good. None of that 'sir' business between you and I though, Harry. Even though you're going to be working for me, when it's just the two of us you can just use 'Kingsley'. You've that bit, at the very least."

Harry nodded, thinking of what he could say to that but coming up short.

The dark skinned man looked at Harry for a few more moments before getting around to the point of the meeting. "Well, I suppose since you think that you're ready to start here full-time we had better discuss the particulars. Like we talked about a few weeks ago, you wont' be going through the regular selection process and training as everyone else because I've already 'deputized' you, as it were. I'm sure you won't be all that surprised to know that there are few people who aren't all too happy about that."

"I had an inkling," Harry said. "I'm not deluded enough to think that everyone will like me just because I'm Harry Potter."

Kingsley chuckled. "There are a few Senior Aurors who think that you are just here riding in on my coattails and want more fame and recognition, including the Head Auror. He should be here any moment by the way."

Harry sighed in an exasperated tone. "Anyone who knows me knows that I don't any more than I already have. Actually, I'd like far less of it, but that's not going anywhere anytime soon. I just want to do my job the best I can and go home at the end of the day."

"Good," Kingsley said. "Let them all see that. It's the best way to change their minds. Keep your head down and work hard."

Just then, the door opened behind Harry and he turned a bit in his chair to see a tall, brown-haired man walking into the office. He was middle-aged and his face bore a long, scarred-over burn down the right side, reminding Harry of how grizzled Alastor Moody had looked. He sincerely hoped that not all Aurors were fated to look similar; he was sure Ginny and his Mum would have something to say about that.

The new arrival nodded respectfully to Kingsley, who waved him to the other seat. "Carson Bryant, Harry Potter. Harry, Bryant here is the Head Auror. He reports to the head of the DMLE, who I'm sure you're familiar with," he said with a wink. "All Aurors fall under Auror Bryant's purview, and I try not to walk on his yard as much as possible."

A very faint smile crossed the Auror's mouth. "Once an Auror, always an Auror sir. As much as it sometimes looks like you're doing the job for me, I won't begrudge you the 'playtime', as it were."

Kingsley laughed loudly as Bryant turned to look at Harry, eyes looking up, down and around as if he were inspecting him. "Harry Potter. I've heard or read about almost everything you've gotten into the last couple of years, and I do have to say that was an impressive bit of thinking in December with the trolls. However, I do want to make it clear that even with the Minister's shining recommendation behind you, you will be pushed just as hard as everyone else. Fail to make the grade somewhere along the line and you'll be out much quicker than you can catch a Snitch."

Harry guarded his facial expressions carefully as he nodded. Something about the Head Auror didn't sit very well with him and he wasn't very happy about the attitude he was getting, but he resolved himself to take it in stride. He hadn't wanted to be given the easy way going forward, anyway. "Understood sir. I don't want any special treatment."

Bryant looked at him appraisingly for a while before nodding himself. "Good. We'll see how you do. Since we've all seen what you're capable of and since you've already got your badge from the Minister, we'll skip you past basic training. From what I've heard you could pass that course with flying colors, or even teach it. You do need to sit the two weeks of classes about procedure and magical law, and nothing will get you out of the physical training and conditioning requirement. That's normally part of basic training, and all Aurors go through a week long refresher course twice a year. Once you're done with procedure, we'll assign you to two full months of conditioning."

Harry nodded, hoping that all the training and workouts he had done for Quidditch would allow him to keep up with everyone else.

"That'll be your mornings. You report in at seven-thirty sharp, Monday through Friday. After lunch, you and your Senior partner will work on whatever he has on his desk. Normally you wouldn't even get paired up with a Senior Auror and go out in the field until you've been here for nine months, but we'll see how it goes. The Minister assures me that you can handle it, and there's one particular Auror who hasn't stopped asking me to get you assigned him," Bryant said with a peculiar tone.

There was a lot going through Harry's head. He was very surprised at just how far into the normal process he was being pushed, and wondered briefly about which Auror would have requested him. Was it one of the older ones that Kingsley had mentioned before? Did they want to do something to discredit him so he would look bad?

Bryant didn't let Harry respond before turning back to Kingsley. "If it's alright with you sir, I'll take Harry up to the department and get everything in order."

"Go right ahead. Mr. Potter and I got through all our business before you got here. We'll talk again soon Harry?"

Standing along with the Head Auror, Harry looked at Kingsley and nodded. "Yes sir. Any time."

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Harry sat back in the rather uncomfortable chair in the conference room where he had been sent to work on a large pile of paperwork. There was quite a bit of information that the Auror Department needed to have on file on it's staff, it seemed. One parchment was for financial arranges for his pay, while another was a long-winded agreement that there were some things that would see or hear that he could never tell to another soul. His least favorite form to fill out had been a long roll of parchment that asked him what he wanted to have done in the event that he was seriously injured or even killed while in the field. Harry hoped that none of what he's had to decide on would ever happen, and that his family wouldn't get wind of it, lest they worry about him going off to work every day.<p>

The door to the conference room opened, and a middle-aged woman poked her head in to look around. "Mr. Potter, the chief would like to see you in his office when you are finished with all the papers. Down this corridor, first door on your right."

Harry nodded and stood, collecting his stack of forms before making his way out of them roon finding the correct office. He knocked on the door and walked in when he heard the invitation to come in. Bryant was looking up at him intently, as if trying to find the answer to a pressing question somewhere on Harry's face. After a few long moments, he held out his hand for Harry's paperwork. "Sit."

Harry had to shift around the lone chair in front of the desk to get into the seat; it was a very tiny office that held more filing cabinets than Harry thought should comfortably fit. Bryant set the files down on a corner of his desk without looking at them, continuing his focus on the newest member of his department.

"Why are you here, Potter?"

Setting his face into what he hoped was a neutral expression, Harry looked directly back at the other man. He thought he knew what the question was about. "I've wanted to be an Auror for many years, and I think I can make a difference; help keep Wizarding Britain safe." He knew it was a simple and probably overstated reason, but it was the truth.

"It could be said that you've already done your share in keeping everyone safe. You and your friends did more to rid us for Voldemort than probably our entire department. Why would you want to keep at it after everything you went through, especially since there's nothing out there to worry about now."

Harry arched an eyebrow. "Because there is _always_ something out there to worry about, sir. Just because we've gotten rid of one Dark Lord and most of the people that were sympathetic to him doesn't mean that we are free and clear. There's always going to be someone to watch out for, and if we are going to just stick our heads in the sand again like the last two times, we are going to completely miss the next wannabe Dark Lord before we can easily stop it."

Bryant kept up his intense look at Harry, but the corner of his lips twitched upward slightly. "Good answer, Potter."

Harry, who had been getting worried about the line of questioning and what attitude the Aurors had adopted in the last few months, relaxed slightly. "That was a test?"

The older man's stoic look cracked a little, loosening up as he nodded. "Won't be the last time either. Don't worry, I agree with you that although we've managed to clean up after the last mess, we need to do the best we can at preventing whatever may come next. However," he said as he leaned back in his chair, "not everyone here at the Ministry shares that particular outlook. There are quite a few influential people who just want things to go back to the status quo, where we were ten years ago, and worry themselves with all their bureaucratic crap. Your soon to be father-in-law is a good man to work with, he's staying steadfast in keeping people away from our budget so that we can keep up our numbers and training where they need to be."

There were some rather choice things that Harry wanted to say about what he had just heard, but he figured none were particularly appropriate to use in front of his new boss. "That's unfortunate," he said quietly. "Some people just never get it."

"Too right," Bryant said as he picked up the stack of papers Harry had brought and started flipping through them. "Well, it's a start. I believe you'll fit right in with the others, most of our department has the same viewpoint. There are a few who are going to give some grief; because you are both Harry Potter and the new guy. Don't think that you're out of the woods with me either, everyone here has to _earn_ my trust and respect."

Harry nodded. "Keep my nose down and follow orders, got it."

The short, almost barking laugh that Bryant let loose sounded a bit like the way Sirius had used to. "I like your style, Potter. It's been awhile since we've had someone like you here." The chief picked his wand up from where it sat on his desk then and snapped it at the door. Harry watched as a small bolt of light blue light sprung from the tip of the wand and flew out the door. Bryant set the wand back down before looking over at Harry's quizzical look.

"I didn't think that you'd seen that particular spell before. It's a message spell that we had created just for the Auror department, easy to use and almost perfectly successful in getting a short message to the person you're thinking of. I just called for your new partner to come get you."

Harry sat up just a bit straighter. "Interesting. Why not just use Patronuses?"

Bryant snorted. "Two reasons mostly. Not every Auror can produce a full-fledged Patronus like you or I, much to my displeasure. Some of the best tacticians and fighters we've had in a century, and it's just out of their reach. Secondly, it's a lot more discreet. You'll learn it from your partner; there are ways to make it near invisible. It has it's downside though…"

A knock came at the door as if on cue, and then opened to reveal a familiar face to Harry. Nigel Banforth was rubbing the side of his head as if something had just struck him there. "Couldn't have sent a patronus or flying memo Chief? Nearly knocked me out of my chair, that one."

Bryant smirked. "Nothing wrong about keeping you on your toes Nigel. I wanted to make sure you we're daydreaming on the job."

Nigel gave him a funny look that silently said "_Who, me?"_, before turning to look at the other person in the room. "Harry! Good to finally see you again."

Harry shook the offered hand as he realized that Nigel was his assigned partner. "Likewise. You got stuck with me then?"

Bryant let loose the barking laugh again. "Banforth's been a pain in my side for the longest time Potter. He's done everything short of threatening the whole department to make sure you were assigned to him.

Nigel smirked. "Kid has to be trained the _right_ way, Chief. Can you imagine Robertson or Weedle taking him under their wing? He'd outshine them in a month."

Feeling slightly perturbed that he was the topic of conversation instead of being included in it, Harry looked over at Bryant and noticed a peculiar smirk on his face.

"Potter, your courses start tomorrow morning, and do try to keep your partner's ego in check… Now, both of you go do something productive. "

Trying hard not to laugh at the interchange, Harry nodded and stood up to follow Nigel out. "Yes sir."

* * *

><p>Ginny closed the door of her locker and sat down on the long wooden bench, breathing a long sigh of relief as her sore muscles started to relax. Her arms felt like lead after running what had to be a hundred or more drills with the Quaffle that day. She thought she had been in top flying shape after years of flying on the Gryffindor house team, but evidently not. This was a whole new level or two above the standard of play at Hogwarts.<p>

"Make sure to ice and rub those muscles down when you get home. Trust me on that, it took me a few weeks to get used to all the work we do up there."

Ginny turned her head slightly to the right and smiled at Tamora, one of the other first-line Chasers on the team. She reminded Ginny a lot of Angelina in how warm and sisterly she could be. "Thanks… I don't know what I was thinking when I told myself that I was okay to jump straight in without conditioning myself this summer."

The slightly older woman laughed. "Every new girl says the same exact thing - don't worry about it. It's not your fault that they keep the level of play at Hogwarts slower than in the League, but they're doing it for the right reason. We get a lot of talent from up there, and we don't want anyone seriously injured enough to where they can't, or don't want to join up. Best to let it sink in gradually."

Ginny snorted. "I wouldn't call this _gradual_, but yeah, I get what you mean."

Tamora laughed again, an airy laugh that complimented her usual light personality. "Some of us are going out to the pub down the street a little later. You should join us, get to know us better. We're interested about you too."

Even though she had a genuine smile on her face, Ginny shook her head. "Maybe some other time Tamora. I honestly probably only have enough energy to apparate myself home without leaving a trail of splinched parts halfway there. And I'm not doubting the team's ability to have a good time, but I do have someone waiting for me that is _very_ good at massages," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

Tamora grinned as she stood along with her new teammate. "Alright, alright. I can't blame you for wanting to spend time with your man when you can, but just know that you can't stay silent from us forever Ginny. Sooner or later you're going to spill all the beans about you and Harry."

Ginny took a few steps towards the door before looking back and tossing her clothes bag over her shoulder. "Sure, just not _everything…_a girl has to have her secrets, you know," she said with a wink.

* * *

><p><em>Yes, yes I know this was more of a filler chapter, but I did need to get things rolling on Harry and Ginny's new jobs and explain a few things. In the next few chapters we'll be skipping ahead a few weeks and seeing how the two are getting along, as well as a few others.<em>

_-Midnight_


	11. Surprises, Again

_Author's Note: The Potter universe and all its characters, places, names, etc. are not my creation, all credit belongs to JKR. I'm only providing my own storyline and using her sandbox to play in._

_Enjoy!_

**Chapter 11 - Surprises, Again**

"_There is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for._"

- J.R.R. Tolkien, _The Two Towers_

* * *

><p>Ron stood quietly in the open doorway and watched his wife working diligently at her desk. That was something he was still getting used to, being able to call Hermione his wife and not a friend, girlfriend or fiance. She was his <em>wife<em>, and he had thanked his lucky stars every morning that it wasn't all just a dream, or a large and intricate joke that the universe was playing on him. He smiled as she frowned a little and peered closer at the parchment that she was reading and making notes on. Ron knew that look well; it was a clear sign that she had found something that didn't quite make sense to her. The bit that she had just read had either confused her for the moment, or she had found something so incredibly wrong with it that she was about to circle it and make notes in the margins.

It happened to be the latter. Hermione was certain that she had found a mistake in an old set of laws that governed the buying and selling of house elves, and was reaching over to grab her quill when she noticed that some of the light that usually streamed in from the hallway was being blocked.

"Ron!" she squealed happily as she stood up, a bright smile appearing on her lips. "What are you doing here?"

Ron grinned and stepped into the office, pulling out a small bouquet of various flowers from behind his back. "What, a bloke can't visit his wife at work sometimes and take her to lunch?"

Hermione looked up at the small clock on the side wall and saw that it was indeed already well past her usual lunch break. She took the last few steps around her desk and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning up a little to kiss him warmly. "Yes, of course you can... I was just surprised is all." She took a whiff of the flowers that he was holding and her smile grew bigger, threatening to run out of room to expand.

"How long were you standing out there?" she asked, still enjoying the initial rush she got from seeing him there in her office. "And how did you get in the building?"

Ron chuckled and shrugged. "I would've made an appointment to speak with the Department of Magical Creatures House Elf Liaison, but then I realized that I didn't have a legitimate issue to bring up, so I just had Dad waive me in."

They both laughed a little at the silliness before he went on. "And I was only out here for a minute or two. I was just watching you for a moment, you looked so into whatever it is that you're reading that I didn't want to interrupt. You had your 'thinking' look on," he said with a smile, trying to recreate the look on his own face, then shrugging when he figured he couldn't do it justice.

Hermione giggled at his antics, a part of him that she absolutely loved, and wrapped her arms around him for a quick hug before freeing him of the bouquet and finding a clear spot on her desk to summon a vase on. "This was really sweet of you Ron..." She was truly touched that he had been thoughtful enough to surprise her like this, and a surprise it was. She could hardly fathom that this loving and thoughtful man that she was now married to was the same boy that she had gotten into numerous fights and disagreements with just years before. A small smile crossed her face as she realized that Lily Evans had likely felt the same way after James had grown up and the two had gotten together.

"I figured it was a nice enough day out, and we could enjoy lunch somewhere outside instead of being cooped up inside all day. Besides, there's only so much of the lovebirds that I can take in a morning."

She grinned at that statement, knowing exactly what Ron meant. In the last few weeks since the wedding, George and Angelina had really stepped up how quickly their relationship was going. They did nearly everything together, and Angelina had all but moved into the flat above Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. Hermione's new mother-in-law had had to resort to magicking a dish towel to smack George upside the head a few nights previous at dinner when the two had fallen into staring at each other across the table with grins and tuning everyone else out.

Ron was looking around at the very small office. "It's very... cozy in here, isn't it?"

Hermione looked around the small office and the back to Ron before shrugging. "I think it's perfect, actually. It's not like I have more than one person coming to see me at a time, and I don't have any staff. Besides," she said in a quiet tone, "it's actually a little bit bigger than some of the other sub-Department Head offices."

Ron grinned. "I guess knowing the Minister personally has some perks."

She giggled a little. "maybe, but I think it's more likely that he's doing everything he can to entice me to stay at the Ministry and not lose me to Professor McGonagall and Hogwarts."

"Is that what you've decided you want to do then?" he asked her warmly, knowing that she had been debating about which career path to choose ever since McGonagall had given her the offer to teach over the summer.

Hermione looked over at her desk and at the small stack of parchment that she had gone through many times in the past few weeks. "No… I don't know Ron," she said after a long pause. "I do want to go back there and teach, I know that I'll have fun doing it, but I think the work that I can get done here is important too. There's also the fact that I would need to study for a mastery in Arithmancy in order to teach it since it's an advanced subject, and that usually takes five years. I could finish it in less than that I suppose, but then I wouldn't have the time for a full-time job. I wouldn't want to put all the pressure on you, and…"

Ron stopped her from continuing on by gently putting a finger up to her lips, and following that with a kiss. "Don't stress about it, okay?" he said quietly, smiling as she leaned into him. He wrapped an arm around her before continuing. "Whatever you decide to do, I'll be behind you, Mine."

Hermione melted a little further into him at hearing that. "Mine?"

He grinned down at her. "I thought it was pretty clever, though it puts me at risk of sounding like a two-year old sometimes…"

He was rewarded with a gentle kiss and a giggle. "I like it," she said softly. She always loved it when he was so protective and possessive of her, and the new pet name he had come up with was beautiful. Tapping the vase with her wand, she filled it up with enough water to keep her flowers alive before slipping her hand into that of her husband's.

"You said something about lunch?"

Ron nodded. "There's a cafe a few blocks away that I found, with sidewalk seating."

"In muggle London?" she asked in surprised. "Are you really my Ronald Weasley?"

The two of them were laughing happily as she closed her door behind them.

* * *

><p>The door next to Harry opened and closed, admitting yet another customer into the small second-hand shop that he was currently hiding in. He forced himself to use his peripheral vision to look over the new arrival like he had been learning, and not move his entire head. Of course, that didn't really matter at the moment, because he was under his invisibility cloak.<p>

When Nigel had told him earlier that afternoon that they were actually going out in the field instead of just training in the Auror's fieldhouse or reading up on reports and flies on the Ministry's most wanted, Harry was all smiled. While he knew that the paperwork and studying was important to his success in his new job, he was glad to be out and about doing what he thought he knew best. He was even more excited when they had apparated into the small courtyard behind the Leaky Cauldron that led into Diagon Alley.

Nigel had given him a two-minute head start into the shopping district for what he was calling a 'concealment' exercise. All of Diagon Alley was the playing field for the private game of hide-and-seek, and he was allowed to use 'any means' to stay hidden from his partner and mentor for as long as possible. This was good news for Harry, as Nigel didn't know yet that his trainee had been carrying around one particular family heirloom since his first day on the job. Harry was looking forward to revealing that particular secret to what was sure to be an annoyed partner.

That wasn't going to happen today though. Almost as soon as Harry turned to leave the store and find another vantage of the street, he was hit in the head with one of the near invisible message spells that he had learned on his first day. He shook his head a bit to recover from the sudden interruption of his thoughts and listened to Nigel's voice as it played around his mind.

"_Harry, new directive from HQ. Gringott's sent word that your old friend Draco is currently there and making a rather large withdrawal from his account. Get up here."_

His eyes narrowed as he heard what was going on; he'd been wondering where Draco had been hiding since he had eluded his Auror protection earlier in the year. A thought crossed his mind for a moment, and he wondered if the sudden change in plans was just a ploy to get him to come out of hiding, but he figured that Nigel wouldn't stoop to such a tactic so early into their 'exercise'. Even if it was, Harry felt like they couldn't lose out on an opportunity to see what Draco was up to.

Luckily, Gringott's was just a few storefronts away from where he was currently, and he didn't have to wait more than a minute or so for someone to leave the shop so that he could follow them out onto the street and still stay completely hidden under the cloak. He quickly walked up the marble stairs to the building and noticed that the two guards posted just outside the entry doors were carefully looking his way. He didn't know if the goblins could see through his cloak, or just that there was a magical signature there, so he decided not to take any risks. He carefully flipped open the wallet-sized pouch that held his badge and let them take a good look.

The two guards nodded almost imperceptibly before compltely ignoring him. Harry filed away the new information he had learned in his mind and walked into the lobby of the bank. He found Nigel in one of the teller lines to his right, and stepped up to him quickly.

"Hi, Nigel."

To his credit, the older wizard barely flinched as he was surprised by Harry voice talking next to him out of thin air. "That's either a really good Disillusionment Charm or a fancy Invisibility Cloak you've got going there, Potter."

Harry smirked a little, unseen. "I was hoping to save it for a surprise, but I guess this is as good a time as any. Where is he?"

Nigel's eyes flicked over to the back of the lobby, where Harry knew the cart room and vault access to be. "Down at his vault at the moment."

"Are we supposed to bring him in?"

A small shake of the head accompanied Nigel's answer. "Bryant has given us the case, so it's our call. We _could_ bring him in if we wanted and try to get some information out of him, but we probably wouldn't get anywhere, and we couldn't hold him forever. Better to try and tail him and see who, what or where he leads us to."

Harry nodded. Nigel was right; they would never get anything out of Draco through an interrogation. "Alright. I'll stay under here and follow him when he's about to leave."

"Be careful," the other man said. "We haven't gotten you any training in this sort of thing yet, and I'd hate to lose a partner so quickly. Keep your eyes and ears open for any clues, but don't take any chances, Harry. We'll find him again if you lose him."

* * *

><p>Three hours later, a very peeved Harry unceremoniously flopped into his seat in the good-sized cubicle that he and Nigel shared in the main workroom of the Auror department. Nigel looked up from the report that he was working on and tried not to show any of the humor he was feeling. "Lost him, did you?"<p>

Harry shot him a withering look. "I followed him as he did his shopping in the Alley, which it turns out there was a lot of. Then he decided to jump around through three different public Floo destinations, in an attempt to cover his traces. For whatever reason, he didn't feel like apparating."

Nigel brought his fingers together like a steeple as he leaned forward. "How did you manage to follow him that many times? Did he not realize that all the fireplaces he used activated behind him a few moments later?"

The younger wizard blinked. "I just jumped into the flames right after him each time, still wearing the Cloak." Harry's right eyebrow rise a little as he took in the surprised expression on his partner's face. "What?"

"You... that's not supposed to be possible!" Nigel stammered out. "How in Merlin's name did you even think to try it? Everyone knows that a Floo signal can only carry one thing or person at a time."

Harry stared at him for a moment before shrugging. "No one ever told me that I couldn't, so I just did it. Maybe the whole theory is wrong?"

The way the other man was staring back at him amused Harry. It was as if he had just stated that the sky was green. It wasn't the first time that he had supposedly done the impossible, and he thought it wouldn't be the last. From his experience, most of the Wizarding population of Britain seemed to just take things as they saw it or heard it, not bothering to ask _why_ or test out their own theories. It was a bit grating on him, but he was also saddened knowing that because of this 'flaw', many witches, wizards and their families had died under the terror reign of Voldemort and the Death Eaters, because of the un-true belief that you couldn't fight back against them and live.

"Well," Nigel started, finally able to say something, "Doing the impossible aside, what happened then?"

Harry sat back and recounted everything he had noticed. "His last Floo ended up at the public Quidditch park in Cardiff, and from there he walked on foot a few blocks with everything he bought. He disappeared walking down a residential block of nice family homes, and I don't know how," he ended with a frustrated tone. "Draco didn't have a wand in his hand and he didn't turn to apparate away. I doubt he's bothered to learn enough to cast a spell wandlessly..."

Nigel frowned. "Rule number eight, Harry. Never assume anything..."

"It makes an arse out of you and me,"Harry finished the phrase with a small smirk. His new mentor had been drilling some of his favorite rules of the job into their conversations, and this was one that Harry had picked up quickly. "Fair enough. So say Draco's improved enough from his time at school to be able to cast a Disillusionment Charm wandlessly and silently. Did he do that so he could apparate away after, or is he hiding out in one of those houses?"

"That's a good question, and it could go either way I guess. If it were me in his place, I'd take the extra step to ensure I was free of anyone. Knowing his type I would think not, especially if he was sure he wasn't being followed."

"I agree. So, we might have a lead on where he's been all this time. What next?"

Nigel grimaced. "You're not going to like the answer..."

* * *

><p>"I wish that you would change that pout into something else dear," Molly said as she sat with her daughter at the kitchen table, peeling potatoes for their dinner. "You have such a pretty face, and pouting just doesn't suit you at all."<p>

Ginny looked over at her mother with a scowl. "I think you'd feel the same way if you didn't see Dad for over a week."

It was now the very beginning of October, just four and a half weeks into her and Harry's new jobs, and they had seen each other only ten times. Ten, in about thirty days. To Ginny, that felt like an eternity, especially after the amount of time they had been apart earlier in the year. Between Harry's demanding training schedule and her own time limited by all the pre-season work the Harpies had to get through, it was becoming increasingly difficult for the two to have time together. Even on those nights where they were able to get together, they hadn't been able to do much more than cuddle and chat for a while before one of them would fall asleep. Even their soul-speaking ability couldn't easily help them, since at long distances it took a lot of energy and concentration to have a proper conversation.

Molly sighed and admitted a little defeat in the matter. "I know its been difficult dear," she said softly. "I suppose your father and I were lucky since he got a job at the Ministry. He never had to do much running around.

Ginny finished working on her pile and sent them flying off to the pot of boiling water on the stove before deftly plucking Teddy out of his high chair and holding him on her lap. The little boy squirmed happily in his spot and started babbling softly. She couldn't help but smile a little; Teddy always seemed to brighten her mood a little when she was down.

"I just wish there was a way to talk to him more often, Mum. We're exchanging some letters on the days that we can't make it back home or to each other, but it's a poor substitute for being able to talk one on one. I'm pretty sure that poor Enid will begin to slow down if we keep up the amount of messages."

A soft hoot came from the perch on the counter near the back door into the garden. Ginny looked over at Harry's owl and saw an expression that could only be interpreted as 'Just try me'. Both Weasley women smiled a bit as they looked at each other.

Ginny sighed again and sat back in her chair, keeping her arms firmly around the wiggling toddler who was now attempting to slide to the floor. "Our jobs are just a little bit more involved than I ever imagined, Mum. I didn't realize that there would be so many extra sponsor meetings, press conferences, photo shoots, everything. September is going to be my least favorite month of the year now."

Finally relenting, she set Teddy down on the floor, where he immediately began pulling himself up onto both legs to try toddling around the table. Molly waved her wand a few times to lay down Cushioning charms as she listened to her daughter.

"And then there's this night shift schedule that Harry got stuck with. I get that he's the new guy there, but _nine_ nights in a row? Kipping under his Cloak for 12 hours a day watching a quiet suburb street?" Ginny left the question hanging.

Her mother sighed a little, looking on as Ginny kept her focus on Teddy. She could tell that her youngest was very annoyed, even bordering on cranky because of the lack of good sleep that she knew Ginny wasn't getting. Molly wished that she could give her some sort of advice that would help, but she was honestly stumped herself, not having been in this particular situation herself. The only thing that she knew would help remedy the problem was...

"Well, only eight nights now..." Harry said from where he was standing by the back door. Both women turned quickly at hearing him, and within a few seconds Harry found himself arms-full of a very happy Ginny. She had squealed his name so loudly in excitement that it was still ringing a little in his , he looked over at his Mum. "Huh. You'd think that she was happy to see me or something..."

Ginny leaned back from him a bit and slapped him on the arm, but was unable to hold back a giggle. "I can't be happy to see you?

Harry's grin grew wider as she kissed him on the cheek. "Quite the opposite, love. I'm just as happy to see you." He felt a tug on his pants and looked down to see Teddy standing there, his legs wobbling a little, holding his arms up high in the universal sign for 'pick me up!'. Harry quickly gathered his godson into his arms and gave him a hug.

"I'm very glad to see you too, Harry," Molly said as she gave him a side-hug. "I see that someone over there finally wised up to the fact that no one can work every single day without some sort of break."

Harry nodded. "As much as the department really wants to know where Draco is going and what he's doing, it was past time to go at it from a different approach. Plus, there are a few other cases that need to be looked into, too. That's what I'll be getting into on Monday."

Ginny's eyes lit up. "You have the whole weekend off? You'll be able to be at my first game tomorrow!" she said excitedly as she pulled him over to sit on the bench at the table.

"You know I will," Harry said as he leaned over to kiss her cheek, "and so will Teddy, Mum, Dad and whoever else in the family wants to. I stopped by the stadium to pick up some more tickets before coming here."

There was another squeal as Ginny wrapped him up in a tight hug, and a happy giggle as Teddy found himself a bit squished in the middle of it. She had been worried about how many people would be able to be there for the game, since the team players only got a certain amount of tickets to give out for free.

The Weasley matriarch looked over Harry appraisingly. "You'll be in for a long weekend of getting back to a normal schedule young man. Do you think you'll get enough sleep tonight if you were asleep most of the day today?"

"I should be alright, Mum. I figure a good dinner and maybe a little time outside flying will get me to sleep easily enough."

_I'm sure I can figure out some sort of physical activity for you to do tonight, Harry..._ he heard from Ginny in his mind. Trying not to blush too hard, Harry looked over at his fiance and saw a sweet and innocent look on her face.

"Are you sure about bringing Teddy tomorrow?" she asked him.

Harry thought for a moment before nodding. "I think it'll be alright. It's supposed to be a nice enough day weather-wise, and he'll get to be there for your first professional game."

Molly nodded as she worked over the stove getting dinner ready. "It'll be good for little Teddy. Exposing a child at that age to new things is only beneficial."

"Besides," Harry said as he reached into his pocket, "the little guy here needs to take advantage of his season pass." There was a little clattering as he laid down what looked like six long ticket parchments, though these were made of thin metal and emblazoned with the Harpies' logo and the years of the upcoming season. Four of the passes were inscribed with names, one each for Harry, Teddy, Arthur and Molly, while the other two were blank and usable by anyone.

"Harry, you really didn't have to…" Molly said as she looked over and saw the pile of passes.

Ginny was looking at the row and seat numbers that were printed on the tickets, a small grin on her face. "These are some of the best seats in the place, looking right down the middle of the field. What did you have to do for these, Harry?"

Harry shrugged and smiled. "All that fame that I dislike comes in handy once in a while. Once they found out that I wanted six of them, they were tripping over themselves to find some good seats."

Both Weasley women laughed a little, though Ginny kept an eye on her beloved. "We'll have to keep an eye on you Harry. We wouldn't want people injuring themselves when you walk into the room…"

* * *

><p><em>Some nice moments between our couples and a little more intrigue in Harry's life? What do you all think Draco's up to? Let me know in the reviews, I'd love to find out what's going through your heads.<em>

_THANK YOU for reading each installment of Post Script, and for all the wonderful reviews, follows and favorites - they all help and inspire me to keep writing more often._

_Apologies for any mistakes in this chapter, I am still currently beta-less. (PM me if you want to talk about the job ;) )_

_-Midnight_


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